Determined not to see Edendale lose its only Post Shop, new owner Steve Rush has a crafty way to keep the business going.
After it closed in July, Mr Rush and his wife bought the Post Shop in Seaward Rd and reopened it in September with a creative new business model in mind.
‘‘Post Shop on its own really doesn’t pay its way in today’s day and age. We started thinking [about] what we can get in here to get people into the store and increase turnover,’’ Mr Rush said.
One way they did this was by supplying things the community needed that were otherwise not available near Edendale.
This included stationery, gardening products, first aid and emergency supplies and certain types of confectionery, he said.
However, the Post Shop’s big drawcard were local artworks and crafts.
‘‘We know a few crafty people — there’s some very talented people out there [who make] some amazing stuff. So we put the word out that we were looking for crafters.’’
Jessica Dodd was one of 17 local artists who answered the call and now had some of her works on show at the shop.
‘‘It’s so awesome to have my art for other people to see,’’ she said.
She took ‘‘discarded and unloved’’ animal skulls and cleaned and painted them to be hung on the wall as pieces of art.
‘‘It’s pretty cool to be able to give them a second chance.’’
Mr Rush said some artists had already sold quite a few items through the shop.
‘‘We are still actively seeking more crafters.
‘‘It’s a way of getting people into the store and supporting local people,’’ he said.
He was quite creative himself and so it made sense to collaborate with other local artists, he said.
He did design work and could create certificates, CVs and business cards.
This was on top of the typical postal services provided by the Post Shop, to which he was no stranger.
As the owners of the Wyndham-Edendale CourierPost contract, he and his wife were responsible for delivering mail in the area.
‘‘Already being in the New Zealand Post system made it quite easy [to take over the business],’’ he said.
The Post Shop is open 9am-2pm on weekdays and 10am-1pm on Saturday.
