New owners for Collingwood Store
Fiona Allcott (left) and her daughter Tasma McNabb are the new owners at Collingwood General Store. Photo: Gerard Hindmarsh.
Already familiar faces around the township, the new owners of the Collingwood General Store and Bakery (since Monday 14 November) are Fiona Allcott, her partner Nico Weeda, and Fiona’s daughter Tasma McNabb, who was already working there for the previous owners Tania Burton and Chanelle Stilwell.
Fiona says when the business came up for sale, they thought it a perfect opportunity.
“I enjoy working, and working here in Collingwood where we live made sense. My parents had shops since I was 18 months old, a dairy in Richmond and a general store in Westport, so the life is familiar for me. Tasma was already managing the store in Collingwood for the previous owners so it made sense to help set her up and get involved.”
Twenty-two-year-old Tasma previously worked a stint at the Collingwood Tavern and was employed for two years as a price integrity controller at Fresh Choice in Westport. Fiona and partner Nico made the move to Collingwood from Westport three years ago, although Nico commutes down for two weeks every month to continue his job there as Westport’s harbourmaster.
The new owners’ goal is to raise turnover and become a Four Square franchised store so they can have regular price specials. In the meantime they will advertise their own specials.
Says Fiona: “We’re already in the process of a big restock, changing a few things around as well as upgrading a few areas like our fresh vegetables and fruit section. Once we have a few things ironed out we will get the bakery back into full swing as well. We’re really looking forward to the challenge.”
Gerard Hindmarsh
