Nicola Cranfield says it's "pretty sad" to be shutting up shop after so many years in business.
Nicola Cranfield says it's "pretty sad" to be shutting up shop after so many years in business.
Nicola Cranfield is closing her retail store Cranfields after 33 years, saying she doesn’t want to spend any more time fighting her own council over a plan to ban cars from the heart of Wellington.
Her store is nestled on Johnston St, just off Lambton Quay, and has been selling accessories, homewares and furniture since 1991. Cranfield employs four staff.
Cranfield told the Herald she has been on a monthly rental arrangement for some time now due to the “uncertainty” in the city.
Nicola Cranfield says it's "pretty sad" to be shutting up shop after so many years in business.
“I haven’t felt confident enough to sign a lease because when you’re an individual signing a lease, that’s my house on the line. It’s a really big undertaking and I’m not a big corporate.”
The landlord has found a new tenant willing to sign up for a longer-term lease, Cranfield said.
It was “pretty sad” shutting up shop after so many years in business, she said.
“I’m just tired, I want to be focusing on something positive. I’ve been in fight mode for six years now and I don’t want to be spending my days fighting my own council.”
Cranfields is nestled on Johnston St, just off Lambton Quay, and has been selling accessories, homewares and furniture since 1991. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Wellington City Council won a concession on its Golden Mile redevelopment despite National saying it would axe it. The project has been brought in-house and the council will work to find cost efficiencies, better bus routes, greater pedestrian access and closer engagement with local businesses.
The project includes dedicated bus lanes, bike lanes and wider footpaths to prioritise walking and cycling.
“It will create a beautiful and pedestrian-friendly CBD that will attract people, workers and shoppers. It will make our buses more reliable. It is estimated to deliver hundreds of millions of dollars to benefit our city.”
Some businesses, including Cranfields, have vehemently opposed the project, claiming it will do nothing to enliven the city centre and will turn the capital’s main artery into little more than a bus lane.
Cranfield said she was worried about roadworks, limited access to her store when the work was completed, and the removal of car parks.
“I don’t want to put my team through the stress, or myself, so I think it’s better to opt out now, holding my head up, and being able to pay my way out and not leave anyone in the lurch.”
“Making us business people out to be these nasty capitalists, who are anti-change, or anti-cycling, but we’re human. I am employing Wellingtonians. I’m buying from craftspeople. There is a lot of heart and soul in what I do.”
Cranfield hoped people would see the human side of businesses and recognise that owners were Wellingtonians too.
“I’ve been speaking to some of the little cafe owners around the government area and they’re really stressed out because they’ve got leases they can’t get out of, and staff and a lot of people are losing their jobs so they’re not going to the bakeries. They’re human stories.”
Cranfields was more than just a retail store, from the people who come in just for a chat to the artists who have gained the confidence to go out on their own, Cranfield said.
“I’m really torn because I see what we do, it’s more of a community hub.”
Cranfield remained passionate about Wellington, although she admitted to spending more time on Kāpiti Coast with her chickens these days.
She is not sure what she will do next after Cranfields closes. An exact closing date is yet to be confirmed.
Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.
