New shop & New warehouse!
31st of August, 2020
2020 … at the beginning of the year none of us could have guessed what the year would hold. And we still have four months left to go.
BUT, on a very positive note, within the challenges, there has also been opportunities.
With the Earthquake strengthening and renovation work that began at Inspirations in early June, we faced a challenge, but we embraced it, planning to re-launch the shop when we finally get the entire shop back (The work is being done in two stages, first the back half and then the front half, and during that time we operate out of one half of the shop or the other.) So, we decided to be excited about things, instead of worn down.
That very attitude made a big shift.
And then, out of nowhere Andrew and Craig were presented with the opportunity to expand. They had been open to the idea of another Hettie’s somewhere, but knew the right place would turn up at the right time. Post covid lockdown … it turned up. Now, logic would tell many that in this economic climate it would be crazy to expand, and to just hang fire, get through it all and wait for the future to improve economically. But … the fact is, the opportunity had presented itself and … it was embraced with great enthusiasm!
The Hettie’s-Inspirations family, is a family that was five shops, but that is now expanding to six shops!
Hettie’s in Riverside, in the city centre moved from an idea to signed contracts, cabinetry decided upon, and Ray our Master Cabinetmaker put to work on the building. We had staff who were working part time, having moved up from Hettie’s in Queenstown the year before, so it was all falling into place.
At a time when many contracted, Andrew and Craig chose to expand the business. We have a wonderful customer base, who we appreciate and value greatly, and when we announced the new shop on facebook, the support was amazing. Customers were excited! We will be able to meet the needs of our customers better than ever before!
Hettie’s in Beckenham is still the Mother Shop, with the rarest of the rare crystals in that location, as well as all the other crystals that we can possibly fit in that shop! Hettie’s in Beckenham will always be there, we will never close that one down or move it … we love that the shop is in a community where it is appreciated supported, and still has its original roots. We have grandparents coming in with their grandchildren and telling us they used to come in as children themselves. It is a family store, and an inter-generational store!
Now … you might think that a new shop was enough to keep Andrew and Craig occupied and tick all the boxes. But, there has been an on-going search for a new warehouse for over a year. With the EQC strengthening and renovation work at Inspirations in Riccarton, stock had to be boxed up and put into storage, and this highlighted the need for a bigger warehouse even more. Stock ended up in their warehouse, in borrowed warehouse space, in their second bathroom (again) and in the storage space in each shop, It was all over the place, and Craig and Andrew were having to cart stock from one location to another, and try to remember what was where (we still can’t find the Selenite Athanae!!) So, the search for a new warehouse now became a priority, especially with two 40 foot shipping containers of stock on their way!!
We are happy to say that a suitable warehouse was finally found, after looking at many! This means that all stock can be centralised!
So, a new shop and a new warehouse.
Bold, brave, exciting steps!!! We are excited about the future!!