Homewares outlet Shut the Front Door closing its Wellington store after a ‘tough year’ in the city

Friday, 30 January 2026

Homewares outlet Shut the Front Door is closing the doors of its Wellington store next week, as the latest casualty of the retail downturn in the capital.

Shut the Front Door, known for its iconic and colourful housing fixtures and fashion, said it fought hard to keep its store on College St running.

But ultimately “the city has had a tough year - and so have many of its small businesses,” a message on social media said.

“We held on as long as we could, fought hard to keep our Wellington store going, and poured everything into making it work.”

The brand’s Auckland and Christchurch stores will remain open, alongside an online shop.

“While it breaks our hearts to close these doors, we’re incredibly grateful for the love and support Wellington has shown us over the years,” it said.

“The community here has meant everything to us.”

Store manager Lily Fletcher told NZ Herald the decision was not made lightly, but was “obviously devastating,” and that the store noticed a shift after neighbouring businesses closed down. This caused a drop in foot traffic, she said.

Owners said on social media that it wasn’t the end of the chain being in Wellington. “Just a breather,” they said.

“We’re hopeful this is a short break before we return to Wellington again, in a new location, when the time is right.”

But until then, the brand said they hope customers keep supporting local businesses.

The College St store will have its last day of trading on February 5, with a closing sale running until then.

Shut the Front Door continues to operate in Takapuna, Northcote, Ponsonby and the CBD in Auckland, and Christchurch.