Small spend, big impact: $10 a week could boost local retail
Monday, 30 March 2026
Households spending as little as $10 a week in local shops instead of shopping at online overseas vendors could help save Kiwi shops, a Petone retailer says.
Avelyn Holcroft-Lewer owns Goody Goodness, a gift shop store on Jackson St. She’s been there for the last two-and-a-half years, and loves the vibe of the area.
However, the retailer is concerned for the life expectancy for the strip of shops.
“Most of us are feeling really financial pressure at present, and we totally understand that. But where we spend and what we spend it on can have such an impact if we choose to be mindful and just make decisions that go further than the actual sale,” Holcroft-Lewer said.
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When The Post dropped by Goody Goodness, Holcroft-Lewer was greeting customers with a smile and a wave.
This was the difference between online shopping and physical retail, she said.
“Our aim is that when people leave, they feel better than when they walked in the doors. There's a difference there. But I do believe that as retailers, the experience each customer receives is really important. That's where we can make a real difference.”
Holcroft-Lewer explained that $10 a week represented less than one third of what the average New Zealand household spent per week via overseas online shopping.
If just half of the Wellington region's households shifted $10 a week from overseas online shopping to local retailers, millions of dollars would stay circulating in local retail - a change that would be a huge boost for the region.
This adds up in a positive way, with the creation of jobs, vibrant town and city centres, real human connection, fewer emissions and stronger local economies, she said.
“If we sit back and continue the way we are heading, we will lose too many wonderful businesses, and our choices will be extremely limited.”
Her store sells gift boxes made with artisan and local products, and come with eco-friendly packaging.
Goody Goodness also showcased artwork from local creators: people who wouldn’t usually get a chance to sell their work in a physical store.
“We have about 50 local artists and creators in here. And if they, if we closed down as an example, just say we did close down, they wouldn't have the opportunity to be showcased.”
She loved working on Jackson St, the retailer said, as the street was filed with unique and independent retail and hospitality businesses.
“There's such a community vibe here, and the business owners support each other. You will always see something new and interesting walking down Jackson Street.”
Jackson Street Programme co-ordinator Hellen Swales said Jackson St had 235 shops, cafés, and eateries along it.
Paid parking being introduced to the street had caused some controversy and with the ongoing fuel crisis, more people might be thinking about moving to shopping online as a way to save costs, she said.
“What we need to remind them is that, you know, without the bricks and mortar, which is part of the community fabric, we have too much to lose if we don't support local businesses.
“So our plea to the community is the same plea that we had through Covid. We need you to support the local businesses.”
Retail NZ chief executive Carolyn Young said spending locally made significant difference to our local economy.
“One of the things we've talked a lot about is that in order for New Zealand to fully recover from the challenges of the cost of living crisis, is we need people to spend money in New Zealand.”
If people were spending their wages off-shore, there was no benefit to the NZ economy at all, she said.
Local stores were having a hard time just as consumers were, she said - juggling rising costs and, when they returned home, higher mortgages and interest rates same as everybody else.
“They are consumers at the same time as their business owners… it’s about that collaborative approach to solving the problem of the economic crisis that will make us all better, and help us all recover in a faster and more effective way.”