‘You’re going to lose Cuba St’: Rent hikes force smaller shops out

A series of independent retailers are shutting up shop and owners say they simply cannot afford to do business there. Photo / Supplied

By Lauren Crimp of RNZ

Shop owners on Wellington’s Cuba St are blaming hikes in rent for a domino effect of closures.

A series of independent retailers are shutting up shop and owners say they simply cannot afford to do business there, and the famous street is losing the charm that once drew crowds of shoppers.

Madame Fancy Pants, Rex Royale, V1 Vegan Store, Everyday Wine, Rough Peel Records and Carly Harris had either closed in the past few months on the street, or were about to.

Some owners said the pandemic, Parliament protest, cost-of-living crisis and labour shortages have not helped - but rent hikes were the final straw.

Madame Fancy Pants was a Cuba St mainstay for 16 years.

Madame Fancy Pants owner Claire Terry says she has seen Cuba St's sparkle fading for a long time. Photo / RNZ

The V1 Vegan Store is closed on Cuba St, in central Wellington. Photo / RNZ

Owner Claire Terry said she had seen the street’s sparkle fading for a long time, with bricks and mortar stores becoming less viable.

“I emailed Justin Lester when he was mayor.

“Saying look, you’re going to lose Cuba St.”

That was two mayors ago. Terry never heard back - and said they were now being priced out of the market.

“There’s no kind of support for those small businesses who are making it what it is.

“All those small businesses are making that space a place where you are proud to say ‘come to Cuba St, it’s filled with all of this’.

“You’re not going to say in a couple years’ time, ‘come to Cuba St, come and see the Spark store’, you know, or ‘come and see the Glassons’.”