Angela Torr Oza encourages people to visit the Trade Aid Kāpiti store, which is closing down. Photo / David Haxton
Angela Torr Oza encourages people to visit the Trade Aid Kāpiti store, which is closing down. Photo / David Haxton
Trade Aid Kāpiti’s shelves are brimming with an influx of goods from around the world as its closure looms.
Trade Aid, which has been operating for 50 years, has decided to start closing its 24 retail stores around the country.
The company has decided to focus on importing, wholesaling and selling online while remaining committed to its purpose of improving producers’ lives by ensuring they receive a fair income.
It has meant there’s a large stockpile of goods that need to be sold, so the company has been sending multiple pallets from its Christchurch warehouses to the retail stores, including the one based in Coastlands, Paraparaumu.
Angela Torr Oza, who has taken on the role of manager until the store closes, is co-ordinating a team of store volunteers and members of the community who have responded to a call for help.
She’s created a “Trade Aid Stock Angels” group via WhatsApp of keen volunteers who can spare an hour or two every now and then to help with the incoming stock.
“People can join by contacting me either through the shop or my email, which is hello@studiobrio.nz.”
Every week the store receives between one to four pallets, per delivery, of goods to process and get out for sale.
The shelves are fully stocked at Trade Aid Kāpiti. Photo / David Haxton
“It can be between 20 to 80 boxes.
“Pallets are taken to a separate room, then I’ll unpack the boxes and place the product in a particular part of a trestle table, and then one of the Angels will put a price tag on it.
“People are saying, ‘What can we do to help?’ And this is one way that does really help us.”
Oza said while there was sadness about the closure, there had been “great moments of joy” too.
All stock, which producers have been fully paid for, has been marked down 40 per cent, except food and beverage, until the stores shut their doors for good.
“We’re getting people that have been able to buy things that they’ve wanted for years.
“There’s going to be a whole lot of homes that will be filled with fair trade.”
Oza, who has a background in retail management, said the store had been very busy with customers.
“It comes and goes.”
She said a lot of people didn’t know the store was closing.
“People are shocked. The company started in 1973. People have grown up with Trade Aid and have stories to share. We’re trying to capture those stories in a book.”
She said staff had been saddened but focused on the task at hand.
“It’s not the end of Trade Aid, it’s just the way they do it will be different.
“For example, we wholesale coffee - that will continue - and wholesale baskets into Briscoes, which we have done for a while.
“And there’s a website which will continue.
“The company will have to work out how to do the fair trade education, because that’s what a lot of the shops do.”
