Auckland shop owners relieved to open on Wednesday, but hospitality businesses despair

Monday, 8 November 2021

E bike store owner Maurice Wells has had to adapt his business to the following the Covid outbreak.

Maurice Wells had moved his Auckland e-bike shop outside to serve customers, but from Wednesday morning he can have customers in his store again.

He is among the retailers celebrating the long-awaiting nod of approval from the Government to open his doors to shoppers again.

But the relief of retailers is not shared by hospitality businesses, who will have to wait longer to open their doors to customers to come inside to eat and drink again.

Aucklanders will enjoy the freedom of larger gatherings and visiting shops when the region moves to step 2 of level 3 for two weeks from 11.50pm on Tuesday.

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Maurice Wells, managing director of the Electric Bike Team, says he is looking forward to welcoming customers into his store on Wednesday.

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Shops will reopen, but customers will have to wear a mask, and shopkeepers will have to require social distancing from customers.

Wells said he was looking forward to the moment he would be able to welcome customers back into his Electric Bike Team store, though unlike many stores, he had found a way to open in recent days.

His store is up a quiet, dead-end street, and he was able to take his stock out each morning for customers to take contactless test rides on them.

“Waiting for over a month or more just is not feasible when you have bills to pay,” Wells said.

“I realised that we were actually in a privileged position where we could operate our business outside, if we were willing to put in a bit of extra work.”

Shop owners are expecting some shoppers to be nervous when heading out to do their Christmas shopping, says Retail NZ chief executive Greg Harford.

Better weather and people having been able to bike around Auckland on quiet roads, demand for e-bikes had been strong, he said.

Greg Harford, chief executive of Retail NZ, said confirmation that shops could reopen was welcome news.

Cafe, restaurant and bar owners have carried more than their fair share of the costs of trading restrictions in Auckland, says Restaurant Association chief executive Marisa Bidois.

“After 12 weeks of enforced closure, businesses will be hoping that the re-opening will reinvigorate the sector,” he said.

“Retail is a relatively safe environment, so long as customers wear masks, and retailers are getting ready to open their doors on Wednesday while keeping customers and staff safe,” he said.

Customers would need to wear a masks and keep a 2-metre distance from others.

“Customers will be cautious, at least in the first stages of opening, but it is good news that they will be able to get back into store,” he said.

The hope of retailers contrasts to the gloom of hospitality businesses like restaurants, bars and cafes, which will not be allowed to have customers onto the premises.

Auckland city centre businesses have lost out on around $1b of trade since the start of last year to Covid-19 trading restrictions, says Viv Beck is the Heart of the City chief executive.

“The glimmer of hope for retailers as the city moves to level 3.2 will not be shared by hospitality who remain closed until level 3.3,” said Marisa Bidois, chief executive of the Restaurant Association.

“Auckland hospitality businesses are experiencing year-on-year revenue declines of 74 per cent on average, so every day and every week counts,” she said.

“We have requested an opening of hospitality for outdoor dining at level 3.2 but are yet to receive a response to this suggestion,” she said.

“The short-term nature of the current planning provides no certainty around when our businesses can plan to reopen, so we would now like to see a specific date given for reopening,” she said.

The Government has signalled the roadmap to reopening will be reviewed next week, which could bring more clarity for hospitality businesses, and also some service businesses like hairdressers and beauty salons.

Viv Beck, chief executive of the Heart of the City business association, said with so much at stake, the Government needed to set out a clear plan for recovery.

“The cost to city centre businesses is close to $1 billion in lost spending since the start of last year,” she said.

“Auckland has done the right thing, with our three distict health boards now at 90 per cent for first doses, and on track for the second later this month, and it’s imperative that we see a clear plan,” she said.

“This needs to include a confirmed December 1, at latest, opening date which we and others have been asking for,” she said.

Customers needed to know that businesses would be open in December to make Christmas bookings, she said.

“We don’t want to see another incremental announcement next week.”