Cookie Time Christmas Cookies Kāpiti Porirua seller Kerry Zhou. Photo / David Haxton
Cookie Time Christmas Cookies Kāpiti Porirua seller Kerry Zhou. Photo / David Haxton
Each day in the lead-up to Christmas Day is super-busy for Kerry Zhou, who is the Kāpiti-Porirua seller of Cookie Time Christmas Cookies.
Zhou, 18, who is studying health science at Otago University, was one of a record 1745 applicants for a Cookie Time selling role throughout the country.
The applicants were whittled down to 102, with Zhou given the Kāpiti and Porirua areas to canvass.
“It was quite exciting and I didn’t expect it.”
Zhou, who lives in Wellington City, was keen to become a seller because “it’s such a cool job and so different to any other summer job”.
“They do sell themselves, but you do have to remind people a little bit.
“It is definitely quite rewarding financially, and overall it’s such a cool experience.
“You also learn so many useful skills to run your own business such as stock management, logistics, inventory, banking, product distribution, marketing, forecasting sales, GST, and paperwork.”
A whole day is probably 12 to 14 hours.
From Monday to Friday she goes to businesses and takes orders, then she does some roadside selling later in the day, before going home and counting stock and money and doing email admin too.
On weekends it’s places like The Warehouse Paraparaumu where she sets up camp.
Kerry Zhou selling Cookie Time Christmas Cookies in Kāpiti Rd, Paraparaumu. Photo / David Haxton
The best way of knowing her whereabouts is by checking the Cookie Time Christmas Cookies – Kāpiti Coast and Porirua Facebook page.
Zhou will be at the Kāpiti Food Fair on Saturday, December 3, at Mazengarb Reserve, Paraparaumu.
She uses an app and website that help to keep on top of things.
Cookie Time was founded in 1983 by 21-year-old Michael Mayell who started it by cooking biscuits at home in Christchurch with his mother, before Cookie Time Christmas Cookies launched two years later and is now in its 37th year.
