First anniversary for “new” owners of Collingwood General Store
Collingwood Store owners Chanelle Stilwell and Tania Burton
Before buying and taking over the Collingwood General Store and Bakery exactly one year ago this week, Tania Burton and Chanelle Stilwell used to renovate houses for a living in the Bay of Islands. Before that they were in the tourism industry.
They went about learning the ropes of the business and making layout changes around the shop to make it more user friendly, and say their latest career change has been highly enjoyable.
“But it’s been the support of the locals that has really blown us away,” says Tania. “Lots of small town general stores are shutting around the country, and if it wasn’t for support from the local community we wouldn’t be open. We have one elderly shopper from Takaka who even comes out specially to buy his groceries because he likes to support a small town business. After buying his Brylcream, tobacco and lunch, he toodles off for a drive to Pakawau or Puponga. It’s a great day out for him.”
As well as offering bread and milk and all the usual staples, the cheerful serving pair have concentrated on maintaining a reasonable range of fresh meat and vegetables in their shop. A couple of the older Collingwood residents come in every day to buy their bananas. Many tourists comment extremely favourably on the plastic bag-free shop when they walk away with their groceries in either a brown paper bag or grocery box. “That was great move for this little town,” says Tania.
Although their peak time is usually after the after-school traffic, there’s no doubt their café-style offerings and the bakery have started attracting the lunch buyers. Lorraine Kerr runs that bakery just out the back. With husband Stu, she used to run the café across the road, and they developed the original scallop pies that the store now sells in remarkable quantities.
The fact that Tania and Chanelle also have a well-patronised selection of fishing gear, tackle and bait reflects what they do on their time off—fishing or scalloping in their five-metre-long pontoon boat. They are also keen to get out for the odd pig hunt.
Ironically, transport and vehicle costs have risen in favour of Collingwood General Store. They now offer deliveries to Pakawau and beyond to Mangarakau every Thursday afternoon, even more important now the Pakawau Store has shut. Phone orders can be made up to 11am on the day.
Currently the store is operating six days a week, and will open seven days over the summer.
Gerard Hindmarsh
