My Account
Wednesday, March 31 will be a sad day for the district when Sandy Shaw closes the till and locks the doors of Wellsford Sports & Leisure for the last time.
Sandy has run the independent sporting goods and clothing store in Rodney Street for 26 years and has built a broad and loyal clientele in that time, supplying countless teams and individuals with sports kit, balls and equipment, hunting and fishing gear, and more.
However, she says it is time to step back from the shop and spend more time taking care of her elderly parents at the family home in Kaiwaka.
“I still love my job and everything to do with it, but I love my parents more and I am needing to spend more time with them,” she says. “And I’m lucky because I’m getting out while I’m still enjoying it.”
Sandy put the business on the market more than a year ago and came close to selling it at one stage, but uncertainty over Covid-19 and the swathe of different lockdown levels meant the deal didn’t cross the finishing line, so she has decided to close the doors.
However, she will remain in contact with her main suppliers and will be able to continue to supply sports clubs and businesses with uniforms and some other items from her home office.
“It has been an absolute pleasure being part of the Wellsford business community and I will sorely miss all the people who have walked through my door, as many of them have become lifetime friends,” she says.
“I have had the most wonderful staff you could ever imagine and they all remain very close friends, too.”
