Margaret McLean from Margarets' Hastings is retiring after being a shop owner in Hastings for 43 years. Photo / Warren Buckland
Margaret McLean from Margarets' Hastings is retiring after being a shop owner in Hastings for 43 years. Photo / Warren Buckland
The tears flowed on Heretaunga St West on Friday as longstanding womenswear shop Margarets' closed.
The effervescent Margaret McLean, 77, who kept it running through hundreds of seasons of trends is retiring after almost 43 years as a shop owner in the city.
Margaret first started out in the suburbof Mahora as Mahora Drapery in either 1977 or 1978 - it's so long ago it's hard to be sure exactly when.
Margaret McLean from Margarets' Hastings is retiring after being a shop owner in Hastings for 43 years. Photo / Warren Buckland
She then moved into the clothing industry opening Margarets', at first based at Stortford Lodge before moving down Heretaunga St West two years later where the shop has sat since.
The move into fashion retail came as she is a dressmaker by trade and thought having a shop was a great way to meet people.
"Having a shop is the best thing in life really. I've loved every minute."
Along with the closing down sale signs and racks of clothes are a big bunch of 'happy retirement' balloons and large bunches of flowers.
Throughout the week her regulars have been coming in to say their goodbyes.
One woman rang her daughters in Taupō to ask them to bring her in to the shop so she could see Margaret before she retired and others have phoned her to say farewell as they found it too sad to come into the shop, she says.
That's the part of the job that she's loved the most. The people, her "darling ladies".
"I love people, I love dealing with mature ladies because they are sincere in what they want."
The staff she's worked with have been another highlight.
Margarets' currently has three other staff, one of whom has worked with her for 13 years.
Before that, she had a staff member who had been with her for 16.
"Over the 43 years, I would've only had about 10 staff because they've all stayed.
"I never feel ratty coming from work, I really enjoyed working with these dear people."
Over the 43 odd years she says she has only had two snappy ladies come into the store - everyone else has been lovely.
"I come to work because I love coming to work."
Margaret says her staff have been an important part of the shop. She is pictured here with staff members Sue Geenty (left) and Janet Hope (right). Photo / Warren Buckland
Her regular customers and other shop owners in the area will definitely notice her absence.
Thomson's Suits owner Mike Thomson said he has known Margaret since his children were young.
"She's gorgeous, of course we are going to miss her. She's been a very good neighbour as far as the shop goes."
Max Lambert from Maxim Barber's has known Margaret since he started in the street seven years ago.
"The block will just feel that little bit emptier without her. She just made our town a better-looking place."
Lambert said his grandmother used to delight in shopping at Margarets'.
"She was an immaculately dressed woman and Margaret made it happen for her," he said.
The main change in the fashion industry Margaret has seen in her time is how people dress when they come into town.
While people used to "dress up like show day" to come in – and her ladies still do – now it's a bit more casual.
The shop is shutting for good, which she says has been sad, so a farewell was organised for Friday evening.
While she has no immediate plans for retirement, the acre and a half of garden which she has at her Bridge Pa home will take up some of her time.
Since she and her husband haven't seen a lot of each other as she's been so busy "it'll be like another marriage again".
She also wants to go to the beach, read a book and spend more time with her grandchildren.
Her main hope now that she's leaving the street is that the block and businesses will continue to thrive.
