Stirling closure reveals silver lining

Whangarei's Stirling Sports owners Donna and Mark Newman sort out some of the sports gear they hope to sell before the shop closes on May 27. Photo / John Stone

More than a century of business in Whangarei ends on May 27 when Stirling Sports on Rathbone Street closes its doors.

Donna and Mark Newman profess having some sadness over the decision to shut up shop but are also looking forward to spending time with their children Lana and Dylan - and not having to work seven days a week.

"There's also a sense of excitement for the future," Mark says. "But we're really looking forward to having some weekends together as a family."

He acknowledging he is already looking at offers from businesses around Whangarei.

Donna jokes that she would "like to be a kept woman," but adds that option is unlikely to be realised, saying both her and Mark are multiskilled and have a lot to offer potential employers.

And the couple are not looking to set up a new business anytime soon.

"Running a business is a huge responsibility, especially a seven-day-a-week business," Donna says.

However, there are some real positives to retailing.

"We have had some great customers over the years and made some great friendships through the business," says Donna.

Retailing has changed dramatically since they bought the store, says Mark, mainly driven by on-line trading and the advent of big box stores.

"People want the convenience of going to big box stores in the mall and its free parking," he says. "Some people almost live their lives just going to the mall," he says wryly.

He believes the only way to get more life into the CBD is to have more people living in the inner city.

As well as putting a lot of hard work into the business, the Newmans agree that behind a successful business is often the support of wider family. They say they would not have achieved as much as they have without family help, especially from Donna's parents Barrie and Lorraine Paton.

"They often looked after the kids and Barrie helped Donna with the accounts," Mark said.

On the positive side, he says that the shop has been doing very well, with good turnover and profit levels, especially over the last six years at least.

He puts that down in part to having access to bulk buying through the Stirling group.

However, the Stirling Sports group is moving into retailing just footwear and clothing, which disappointed the Newmans, who enjoy offering general sports gear to their customers. That, combined with the Newman's lease ending, triggered the decision to shut up shop.

Another vital ingredient for success is having quality staff who embrace a strong customer focused ethos. The Newmans employ 10 staff and say they have been well served over the years by their employees.

They both acknowledge the dedication of administrator Sandra Bowden who has worked in the business for more than 25years, including for Garth and Kate Marsland, who had bought the company in 1969. The Marslands retired in 1988 - but not before overseeing the move from Banks Street to the present Rathbone Street address in 1982.

The store stayed with the Marsland family after Garth and Kate's retirement but was rebranded as Wilkinsons Sportsworld, joining the 50-store Sportsworld group. The Marslands sold the Rathbone Street store to the Newmans in 2006. They joined the Stirling Sports group in 2010.

Stirling Sports started as a saddlery founded in 1894.