Stores shut up shop at Christchurch mall as cost of living crisis hits retailers

Wednesday, 21 June 2023

Eco-friendly shop Earthlove owner Kim Lawlor is packing up her Bush Inn mall store for good.

The cost of living crisis has claimed another small business as a Christchurch mall’s eco-friendly shop packs up for good.

Earthlove is one of several businesses to close in Christchurch’s Bush Inn mall in recent months.

When The Press visited it found 14 empty units, though the centre manager said some have been allocated to new businesses.

A cleaner said her hours had been cut from full-time to three hours a day because there were fewer shoppers and some businesses had left the mall in recent months.

The owner of one shop still there said it was so quiet it was hard to pay the bills.

Earthlove store owner Kim Lawlor said she had done everything she could to keep the shop at Bush Inn open – including working seven days a week – but it was no longer sustainable.

She said hers was the ninth shop to close at Bush Inn in the seven months she had been there.

An empty store at the Bush Inn Shopping Centre. Nine stores at the mall have closed in the past seven months.

Lawlor and husband Eoin, who own another iteration of the eco-friendly household goods shop on Brougham St, opened their shop inside the Provedore section of the mall in mid-November and enjoyed a successful Christmas rush, before it tapered off.

She said the cost of living crisis, recession and competing with larger chains were making things tough on small business owners.

“So many of our small business friends are struggling so much … it’s so important to support small businesses, and it doesn’t have to be spending money. Word of mouth goes a long way.”

The couple’s Earthlove business stocks locally sourced products from over 70 small businesses in Christchurch and around New Zealand.

Sports Clearance Land manager Darren Hodge says it has been a quiet winter at the Bush Inn mall.

She said it was a “tough climate” for small businesses trying to put the environment first, with the rise of online shopping and mass distribution companies from overseas.

“Yes, we’re in the middle of a cost of living crisis … but we can’t forget we’re in the middle of a climate emergency too. It’s big business that got us into this mess, and it’s the small local businesses that will get us out.”

Sports shop manager Darren Hodge said business at his Sports Clearance Land store was quiet but had picked up when he moved into a smaller unit closer to the mall’s entrance.

“It’s been quiet, but then it’s winter. It’s busier on weekends – they have a market here every Saturday – but during the week it’s quiet,” he said.

Hodge hoped things would pick up when a new family entertainment space opened up and said new business owners had moved into some of the vacant units.

Halal butcher Khaled Alnobani says business has been affected by too few customers and people not having enough money

Halal butcher Khaled Alnobani said business was so quiet that it was a struggle to pay his bills.

“It was better before coronavirus. Everything is gone down, down, down. There are not enough customers. Everything is very expensive and people don’t have money. Business needs a little patience,” he said.

Alnobani said he had seen three different operators in the now vacant cafe opposite his unit.

Shopper Jin Qiu said she enjoyed shopping at Bush Inn, especially for the Asian market and the cheap vegetables.

Active entertainment centre Ninja Valley will be opening its second New Zealand operation in Christchurch, having secured a lease on a space in the Bush Inn Centre – formerly Smith’s City.

“I like it. When it’s raining outside this place is warm,” she said.

Mall manager Andy Bell said there had been more businesses opening than closing at the centre, and listed He listed 12 businesses that had opened in nine months.

The mall would be announcing several new tenants including, laser tag, an escape room and a boutique cinema.

Bell acknowledged that some tenants had left and foot traffic wasn’t quite where he wanted it to be, but said it was fairly consistent and things were on the up.

“The ones who’ve closed were short-term, temporary offerings. There’s significantly less vacancy in the mall than there was six months ago.

“As a result of significant efforts, we’ve turned a corner.”

Newcomers include the Ninja Valley family entertainment space, which will have trampolines and climbing equipment, expected to draw thousands of new customers a year.

“Retail is tough (at the moment), no one would deny that, especially for local businesses right across the country. The message [is], support local operators.”

A bakery is expected to open in Earthlove’s place at the Provedore.