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Around 30 Warkworth retailers and hospitality businesses got together at the Bridgehouse Back Bar last week to discuss trading hours and how opening on Sundays and public holidays could help make Warkworth a destination.
Warkworth Menswear owner Matt Henderson said he opened seven days a week and most public holidays.
“We’ve definitely noticed the change here in the weekend. It’s full and people are coming to Warkworth,
it’s not just locals, it’s people from out of town who spend money. The motorway’s brought us foot traffic, but we’re not utilising it,” he said.
“They don’t come back because everything’s shut. It’s frustrating. I’m worried that we’re going to be left behind and just end up being a sleepy town that no one visits.
“For businesses out there that say they’re struggling and not making ends meet, could you consider opening on Sundays and public holidays?
“Last Sunday, we had five customers in four hours with an average spend of $150. There’s definitely slower days during the week where you could decide to be closed.”
Stirling Sports owner Peter Bosher said he’d struggle if he didn’t open on a Sunday.
“The profit we get from a Sunday really helps our business a lot. It’s not really local people. Recently we had a guy in from Maungatūroto, a person from Kumeu, people from the Shore, and a couple heading from Whangarei back to Auckland,” he said.
“The first Boxing Day I was here, we had a customer come in who said, you’re open but no one else is open. I couldn’t believe it. Boxing Day’s probably the third biggest day of the year for us.”
He added, “All the excuses you hear for not opening on Sunday are just the same as when Saturday trading was introduced. I think the potential is just enormous … but we’re not even trying.
“We would be smart to maximise our point of difference, which is convenience. We could be a small rural town close to the beach, open all the time, ahead of everybody else, staking the ground before other people do.”
However, Bridgehouse Lodge owner Ian Holt said it cost him more money to open on a public holiday than being closed, so he’d rather give his staff a day off.
“Mondays, in particular, you’re just wasting your time – I gave up on that 15 years ago. Because we have opened on public holidays, it cost us about $9000 in wages, if it’s on a Monday it might cost $10k. There’s no point,” he said.
Willow Lodge owner Ali Dalziell said she had been booked every weekend since last September.
“The amount of guests that ring me and say, I’ve gone by your recommendations but nothing’s open, so they end up in Matakana. And I’m disappointed because I want them here,” she said.
There was plenty of feedback from the floor around trading hours, as well as how to make Warkworth a destination town, with most people open to the idea of trading on Sundays and public holidays.
