Wild Roses in Taihape forced to close after 25 years in business

Sue Woollaston has until November 1 to vacate the premises.

The owner of a popular Taihape shop operating for 25 years has been given until November 1 to clear out.

Wild Roses, located in the town’s old post office building, opened in 1998.

Sue Woollaston was asked to leave by landlord Jessamine Corpe, who said she was putting the building on the market.

Woollaston, born and raised in Taihape, said she worked alongside family at the local Four Square prior to opening the shop.

“I was always pretty creative and I needed to do my own thing.

“The post office had been empty for over a year, so I decided to open something up in there.”

She started off by bringing furniture and giftware back from Bali, before sourcing New Zealand products.

From there, the shop “just grew and grew”.

At present, it stocks everything from home decor and retro toys to soaps and food items - “little sections for all sorts of gifts”.

Woollaston set up her first Christmas grotto in the building’s old mail room in 1999, and not long after, she became a franchisee for the Christmas Heirloom Company.

“That helped grow the destination shopping in a big way.”

“After a couple of years of the franchise, we chose to keep the Christmas room open all year.”

People from all over the country stopped by the shop, she said.

“Someone will come in and say, ‘My sister told me I had to come here’, and they’re from Kerikeri.

“There has always been such wonderful feedback about people from far away knowing who we are.”

Despite Wild Roses’ success, Woollaston said she wasn’t responsible for putting Taihape on the map.

Long-running cafe Brown Sugar opened four or five years ahead of her.

“That was the one that really stopped the traffic.

“They are actually on the market, and fingers crossed, they have a buyer. I would be so grateful to know that business will keep going.

“There are pretty big changes for Taihape.”

Sue Woollaston in the Christmas shop in 2010. Photo / Bevan Conley

As much as people hated the trucks coming past, it was a blessing the town was on State Highway 1, she said.

Wild Roses “wouldn’t have been there” otherwise.

“You also have to listen to your customers and get the feel of what’s needed.

“We don’t have a Warehouse here or any big chain stores, so little shops like mine do very well. There isn’t competition.”

Taihape florist Tania Byford said people travelled from far and wide to go to Wild Roses.

“We send people to Sue and she sends people to us.

“As community-minded people, all we care about is that they spend their money in town.

“It will be a huge loss. We can’t fill the gap with the things she sells, and that Christmas shop is a huge drawcard.”

Woollaston said Taihape was a small town where people looked after one another and she was overwhelmed with the support she had received since being asked to leave the building.

She wasn’t sure what would come next for Wild Roses.

“It might not be the end of business but, for now, I just have to get out of there in eight weeks.

“Maybe I’ll recreate myself somewhere, somehow, but I haven’t got my head around that yet.”

An appeal to Corpe to remain open over Christmas was turned down, Woollaston said.

The Christmas Heirloom Company shop will also be closed down.

“In March you do all your indent buying for Christmas, so I’ve got a huge amount of stock sitting and waiting to be delivered.

“At this point, I’m going to have to email all the suppliers and ask to cancel. Hopefully, they’ll honour that after all my years of loyalty.”

She currently employs five part-time staff, one of whom has been with her for 20 years.

“I’m disappointed for them. They are all part of the family and part of the journey.

“It’s a bit sad, but we will be okay.”

Mike Tweed is an assistant news director and multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.