It was 1873 when the tills rang for the first time at the General Store in Martinborough. Mr Pain walked clothing goods ‘over the hill’ from Wellington in a wheelbarrow — before that was upgraded to a horse, then more horses towing a cart. Mostly selling to the pioneers passing through, he was soon able to open a trading post shop on the crossroads of the town. Before long, he built a beautifully ornate building to rival any high street in the country, selling haberdashery, menswear, womenswear, hardware, homewares, and groceries under one grand roof.
Eventually in 1910, his business partner, Mr Kershaw, bought Pain and their other business partner out. In the last century, the business has been through a major fire, earthquake, and depression. The fourth generation of owner-operators, Conor and Philippa Kershaw, have completed a full renovation of the store, including strengthening, in time for its 150th anniversary. The General Store today is a “beautiful mix of old and new”, with the original fluted windows, which had been boarded over for 50 years, and uncovered pillars that were shipped from England.
The racks are filled with a curation of New Zealand’s leading brands, from Juliette Hogan and Kowtow to Deadly Ponies. “In the time we have owned the business, we have undergone significant change and are now proud to be approached weekly by brands wanting to stock with us,” says Philippa.
The General Store is fortunate to have a strong local market in the Wairarapa. During weekends, the store teems with customers who appreciate slower fashion and an elevated casual look. “The main challenge is to keep evolving and staying true to our vision and our values while remaining relevant and fresh.”
From the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South, regional retailers are at the same crossroads of supplying their loyal customers while expanding their reach.
In 2006, the first Caravan Clothing & Home store opened in Kerikeri, selling its streetwear-based collection, which is ethically crafted in Bali, alongside New Zealand and Australian labels from Caroline Sills to Kinga Csilla. Following the success of this store, owner and designer Tania Cooper opened another in Russell in 2017 — also painted in natural tones and illuminated by woven pendant lights.
While uncertain times can make for uncertain shoppers, Caravan has seen unwavering loyalty. “In the face of adversity, we were deeply moved by the incredible support from our local community,” says Cooper. “Customers [are] increasingly seeking a personalised experience that is unique to local boutiques like ours, offering a level of service and individuality that simply can’t be found in the larger chain stores in the cities.”
Auckland-focused businesses can see the benefit of small-town stores. Elle & Riley Cashmere has four stores in Auckland and one in Queenstown, but they have a soft spot for their Matakana store. It opened after mother-daughter founders Yolande Ellis and Elle Pugh decided to run their office from Matakana, where they lived, after the pandemic. “We had noticed that a lot of our regular Auckland clients had either relocated or were splitting their time up there more, so when the opportunity came to open a boutique, it felt almost inevitable,” says Pugh. “The area has always held a special place for us, and we thought it made it the perfect setting for a considered, premium experience.”
Their store, which relocated to the heart of the village in 2023, offers their full range of cashmere pieces in a space filled with vintage rugs and warm walnut furnishings. The essentials are most coveted here, including “elegant but unfussy” lightweight layers and travel wraps and gifts for tourists. A designated outlet section ensures a wider range for weekend market visitors to get a feel for the brand. “We find that regional shoppers are incredibly considered in their purchases — they linger, they ask questions, and they invest in pieces they truly love and they have a lot of fun whilst they are shopping,” adds Pugh. “What makes it special is the community feeling — surrounded by other small, locally owned businesses is such a joy. We’ve designed the store to be personal and unrushed, mirroring the pace of the town itself.”
Like many, this region benefits from a cluster boutique technique. Neighbouring Two Boutique stocks a range of womens and menswear, from relaxed everyday wear to chic workwear and eventwear. Still, in this economic climate, owner-operator Alana Silk is dialling back the amount of stock ordered “significantly”. Instead, she chooses to focus on the “small wins” — a customer excited about their purchase, comments about how beautiful the store looks, and the friendships formed from being a part of a tight-knit community. “I have hope that the smaller boutiques will continue to thrive. It’s so important to our area and really builds Matakana Village into a destination with so much to offer,” she says.
Post-pandemic, creating a zone of optimism is also important for Wendy Simister, who opened the light and bright Wendy’s Boutique in Tauranga in 1984 and continues to stock new classics from the likes of Trelise Cooper and Karen Walker. “We have a very loyal customer base and we wanted to pay it forward to them, being a positive and welcoming space they could come to, away from the doom and gloom of the media.”
In 2015, Simister opened Tilda, a younger sister store, in Mount Maunganui with beachside looks from the likes of Coop and Tuesday Label. “While the retail industry is evolving, there’s a growing appreciation for local businesses,” she says. “ I believe more consumers will focus on quality, sustainability, and supporting local, which plays to the strengths of boutiques like ours and so many more around the country.”
In another shopping destination in the Wairarapa, Greytown, Designer Clothing Gallery sells concepts rather than clothing. Penny Barnett and her team of stylists sort labels, including Pom Amsterdam, Mos Mosh, Leon & Harper, Salasai, and Sheryl May, by unique colour combinations — not sizes. “We are very concept-focused and love giving the ideas to the customers,” says Barnett. “If you sell the ideas, you don’t feel like you’re a pushy salesperson.”
Unlike the shoppers at her former Wellington store, who always seemed to be on a mission, the customers here are “just browsing” and open to trying on new brands and looks. “If they see something and we can put it together for them nicely, they’ll buy it,” she says. “The good old-fashioned word ‘service’ is hugely important.”
Barnett launched her own label, Penny, in 1985 and in her 40 years of working in the fashion industry, she says: “I’ve never in my life felt this uncertain about the world, ever.” The challenge at the moment “is this turbulent time of coming out of the ups and downs of Covid, and now on top of that global uncertainty and issues like wars and climate.” The silver lining is that relationships with suppliers are becoming stronger. “We need each other, and we look after each other.”
This sentiment rings true for Brydon Smallbone, who opened 47 Frocks ten years ago when she moved to Wānaka from Timaru. “I adore the close relationship we have with our designers,” she says — who include Rory William Docherty from Auckland, twenty-seven names from Wellington, and NOM*d and Company of Strangers from Dunedin, as well as some specialised international labels such as Rains. Customers are catching on, too.
“There is a movement towards really knowing about your clothes and the manufacturing process, which we love. Our designers have always put so much thought into the entire process and a lot of our clothing is still manufactured here in New Zealand,” she says.
All of the stores interviewed for this story have acknowledged the importance of building their online storefronts and shopping community, too.
In 2020, Becky Dennison bought a small business in Ōamaru, after working there during her university holidays, and rebranded it to Hyde Boutique within the year. Now, half of Hyde Boutique’s sales are online and shipped throughout the country. In front of racks tightly packed with Alemais, Karen Walker, Marle and dozens more labels, the team share daily outfit videos, generally on a size 12 body, and behind-the-scenes peeks. Due to their location, coats and knitwear sell well, especially in quality fibres of wool, merino, mohair and alpaca.
“In a small rural community, one can’t be too niche with their brand, sizing, or price point mix. We simply don’t have the population to service too specific a look… This has meant expanding our brand offering over time, and carefully curating some lower price pointed styles that will appeal to a wider range of potential local customers,” says Dennison. “We prefer to keep things real rather than overly polished.”
Their southern location does cause some snags. “Being in the South Island, away from the big smoke poses some logistical challenges, and means we aren’t quite as quick to respond to trends in the market or developments in technology,” says Dennison. “Stock usually takes an extra day or two to get to us and can cost us slightly more in freight than North Island retailers, as the majority of our stock is dispatched from Auckland.”
While Dennison is cautious of AI taking away from creative fashion imagery, she is interested in the potential of customers being able to try on clothing virtually “in the next year or two”. It could also help her review 50 collections a season without needing to travel as much, too.
Still, the in-store experience is important for Hyde Boutique. As at many other shopping destinations, the team has seen an increase in shoppers who have either moved to the town to work remotely, or are travelling more in their own country. They have added four big changing rooms to the store, which are filled with friends shopping together on weekends.
“While we need to bring parts of ‘big city business’ to our store, we can also see that many fashion lovers in the city yearn for that grassroots, ‘true blue’, small-town customer service that can’t be easily replicated,” says Dennison. “People now know that if they want to see a business thrive and be a part of their local or online community, they need to support it.”
New Zealand’s regional retail is still at a crossroads, but it’s one that’s looking ahead.
This article originally appeared in Fashion Quarterly‘s Winter 2025 issue.
Words: Jessica-Belle Greer.
Photography: Supplied.
