Business – Little Black Book lifesavers

As I walk around town I see a lot of people looking a little stressed as we approach the festive season, and I wonder why we continually put ourselves under so much pressure at this time of year. The mad rush to buy gifts and, for many of us, that terrible stress of making sure we buy the right gift for those closest to us – getting it wrong doesn’t bear thinking about! Imagine having the ability to know which retailer to go to and once you’re there being shown what to buy in the knowledge it is exactly what your nearest and dearest wants.

This year One Warkworth has arranged a Little Black Book promotion (from December 2-24), taking all of the stress away and providing a very simple answer to your gift buying dilemma. Participating retailers will have a Little Black Book where people can write down what they’d like for Christmas from that shop. All they have to do then is tell family and friends which shops they have wish lists at, so the gift buyer can pop in and buy something they know is really wanted.

Buying local is something One Warkworth has driven for a number of years because it’s so important to keep money circulating in our community, rather than it being spent in Auckland malls. Having the Little Black Book gift registry will help keep more money here with the added benefit of taking the guess work out of Christmas shopping.

This year, there is also a special Christmas Shop Easy Day on Saturday, December 14, to tie in with the Christmas Market being held at the Town Hall. We encourage all retailers to consider Christmas specials on this day and hope they reach out to their databases and invite everyone to come into town. It would be great if shops and businesses could put up Christmas decorations before the Shop Easy Day to help everyone into the Christmas spirit. Christmas music adds to the atmosphere, too, and it always makes me smile when I walk into a shop.

Christmas should be a time of joy, so if we work together to promote and support buying local and take the stress out of driving to Auckland and finding a carpark in overcrowded malls, it will be truly festive.

As we head into the end of the year, on behalf of the One Warkworth committee and our management team of myself, Rachel, Claire and Ayla, I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and say a huge thank you to the many volunteers who have helped us during the year. Bring on 2020 – it’s going to be an exciting year.

Murray Chapman, One Warkworth, Manager
www.onewarkworth.co.nz