Inside the survival game as a Hawke’s Bay fashion retailer

Darren Olsen at Alexanders Apparel in Hastings, where he has diversified the long-running store to include women’s clothing alongside men’s wear. Photo / Rafaella Melo

A beloved menswear company with 50 years of Napier history became the latest casualty of tough economic conditions for retailers last week.

But owners of upmarket clothing stores that remain - including one with almost exactly the same name in Hastings - say even though they’ve seen better times, they won’t all fall like dominos. Rafaella Melo reports.

Darren Olsen is happy to admit his business’ name might be a bit confusing for customers at the moment.

Olsen owns Alexanders Apparel in Hastings and is still very much open for business.

But it’s not an easy time.

Last week Alexanders Apparel Ltd - nothing to do with Olsen’s business - went into liquidation in Hawke’s Bay, owing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

It will likely lead to the closure of two Hawke’s Bay clothing stores - Alexanders on Tennyson in Napier is already closed while Alexanders in Havelock North is selling down stock.

Olsen has a simple message for those wondering about his Alexanders store in Hastings: he’s open, and alive, and kicking.

He says this winter has been a case of surviving rather than thriving.

Hawke’s Bay Today found similar vibes across Hawke’s Bay’s clothing sector.

Winter is lean, summer is hope, and loyalty counts.

Between highs and lows, the key to keeping the lights on in a patchy market is a mix of strategies, Olsen said.

“We’ve diversified now,” Olsen said, explaining why Alexander’s Apparel is still “trading well” after about 45 years.

“Instead of being a men’s only store, we’re selling women’s clothing as well, which in hindsight, has been a good move.”

Olsen said the store has been in Hastings since 1980, and he bought it in 2011.

He has since broadened the offer. Today, half the racks are women’s wear, alongside a “busy” alterations service at the back.

He has leaned on online sales too, to keep pace with changing shopping behaviour.

“I think with online, that certainly reduces the amount of foot traffic you see in the towns. A lot of the streets are very quiet,” he says.

“It’s definitely worthwhile because most of the sales were generated from outside the district, but a lot of people use it for researching, so locals will still look on there and may come into the shop doing a comparison.”

Olsen says high street retail isn’t growing, and most of the growth is online.

“But you can still provide a really good shopping experience in store, which is what keeps people coming in.”

Olsen is banking on a summer lift in sales to make things feel a little more comfortable.

And there is hope that it’ll happen.

Co-owner Amandeep Kaur at Octave Mettle in Hastings. Photo / Rafaella Melo

Just down the road, Octave Mettle’s co-owner Amandeep Kaur said the warmer months usually see business double.

“Right now, the challenge is covering expenses, but we are doing well. We’re ordering more summer stock because we know that goes really fast.”

Open just over a year, Kaur said that while neighbouring shops have closed, her business is holding steady.

She credits it to knowing her customers and adjusting to their habits.

In Havelock North, Sally Anne Ladies Fashion’s owner, Jo Pierce, also knows her audience.

She says survival in the clothing trade depends on the demographic the store attracts.

Sally Anne’s first two years were strong, despite Cyclone Gabrielle. But this year, the store too has felt the chill of winter.

“People are travelling overseas,” Pierce said.

“It’s not that they don’t have money ... Some of my customers are doing two trips a year, and they go for long periods.”

Jo Pierce, owner of Sally Anne Ladies Fashions in Havelock North. Photo / Rafaella Melo

Her shop relies on a loyal 45-plus customer base. She markets through social media and seasonal sales but says with rising living costs, every business is affected at some stage.

“Some are struggling, some are, just like me, surviving. You can’t say you’re doing well at the moment.”