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Mount Eden’s Time out Bookstore’s sales were up 11 per cent for June, compared to the same month a year ago.
An Auckland independent bookstore is thriving in a vastly changed Covid-19 world, reporting stronger sales than the same time last year.
Mount Eden’s award-winning Time Out Bookstore had bucked the struggles many other businesses were finding around the country. Sales for June were up 11.5 per cent on the same month last year.
Manager Jenna Todd said they had prospered from a loyal customer base and people shopping local after lockdown.
“We’re in a new normal, but we’re back to normal for sales, which has been awesome. We’re definitely cautious and wary of what the future will bring. At the moment, we’re feeling good.’’
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The majority of customers were “super local’’ and listed on their database. Todd said foot traffic had been strong and returned to pre Covid-19 levels.
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The Detail: From lockdown to recovery – tracking a small business during Covid-19 pandemic.
Like most bookstores, Time Out makes a large chunk of their yearly sales in the weeks before Christmas. If customers lost their jobs later in the year due to the repercussions of the global pandemic, Todd was worried it could have a major effect.
“What customers will be there at that time? Will we have another level of customers that won’t be able to come in and shop locally and have to be more cautious with their money?’’
Covid-19’s impact meant stock was transported via sea freight, rather than air. That had slowed the process and resulted in them looking at how stock was ordered and stored.
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Time Out Bookstore manager Jenna Todd, pictured with cat Lucinda in 2017, have enjoyed strong June sales.
Time Out had 13 staff and been paid $71,577.60 in the first round of the government’s wage subsidy scheme, but weren’t eligible for the second round.
Queenstown’s Erik’s Fish and Chips were at the opposite end of the spectrum and finding business tough with virtually no overseas tourists.
Owner Anna Arndt said they were down “50 to 60 per cent” on the same time last year.
Che Baker/Stuff
Husband and wife duo Erik and Anna Arndt outside Erik’s Fish & Chips trailer in Queenstown.
“We’re still very slow because we don’t have any tourists. We’re in the area that a lot of your customers are tourists. Our turnover is still way down.
“I think there’s a lot of nervousness out there in the community down here. What are we going to do once the wage subsidy ends.’’
The $11.9 billion scheme has been in place since March, and has helped insulate 1.7 million workers and their employers from some of the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
Erik’s Fish and Chips, which had shops in Queenstown and Wanaka, were using the wage subsidy scheme for their 10 staff, who were on minimum hours.
“The wage subsidy is fantastic and without the wage subsidy it wouldn’t work. We’re really thankful to have the wage subsidy.’’
Arndt said they were trying to cut costs wherever possible with discounted rent and working with suppliers to help both parties.
Erik’s Fish and Chips were giving back to the community offering $5 meals on Wednesdays for anyone made redundant during Covid-19.
Heimo Staudinger, who owns European restaurant, Upside Down Eatery, in Hāwera faced the daunting challenge of opening the business while the country was in lockdown.
They had planned to open on April 11, but Covid-19 threw a giant spanner in the works. Upside Down Eatery opened behind closed doors in level 3 on April 28.
Catherine Groenestein/Stuff
Owner Heimo Staudinger opened the Upside Down Eatery in Hāwera during lockdown.
Staudinger said they had been well-supported by customers in levels 2 and 1, but there were a raft of other difficulties to contend with.
He had ordered rubbish containers from a waste company, but was later informed they wouldn’t start making them until they had received 20 orders. A new oven for the kitchen that would usually take 10 days to deliver had taken six weeks.
“Business is quite good, the customers want to go out. They’re happy to spend money. This is probably not the challenge at the moment. The challenge is to get your ducks in a row and get everything you want.’’
Upside Down Eatery had used the wage subsidy scheme for their 14 employees in the first round of payments, but weren’t eligible for the second round.
Staudinger said it was worrying because he had no idea how business would be over the next two to three months. If it was quiet, he would likely have to let staff go.
“After lockdown everybody was now happy to spend money. A lot of people losing jobs next couple of months, if money gets tight, the first thing people stop doing is going out for dinner.
“It’s actually a big worry when you see chefs are moving down from Auckland and coming down here to work for you and you say, ‘I don’t know in three months it might be that I have to let you go again’.’’
