Huanui Fresh co-owner Marie van der Kwaak [front] and Anneliese van der Kwaak, Liz Carppe and Luke Thomas are busy preparing online orders. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Huanui Fresh co-owner Marie van der Kwaak [front] and Anneliese van der Kwaak, Liz Carppe and Luke Thomas are busy preparing online orders. Photo / Michael Cunningham
GOLOCAL
Northland residents and businesses have scrambled to get up to speed with new and varied ways of shopping in a Covid-19 world.
There are now a multitude of ways to purchase and pay for goods after the country moved from lockdown into level 3 and restrictions were slightly eased toallow for online and contactless shopping.
As shops, cafes and restaurants still can't open their doors, Northlanders are navigating a new world of phoning, texting, emailing, messaging, paywaving and prepaying online via websites and social media pages in a bid to abide by social distancing rules.
Huanui Fresh in Glenbervie went online for the first time recently and, along with deliveries, is now taking orders via email and doing click and collect under level 3.
Co-owner Marie van der Kwaak said though they already had a presence on social media, they realised a website was vital after publishing a post saying they'd be taking email orders following lockdown.
"We got blown out of the water ... the first couple of days we processed 660 emails."
The boutique grocery store is doing about 50 deliveries a day and has clocked up 2000km.
It is also continuing a free home delivery service for residents aged over 70.
"We had a few teething problems, but customers have been so patient and grateful they could get produce without having to go to the supermarket," van der Kwaak said.
"The response from customers has been amazing, and they've been sharing on their social media pages so we're getting orders from all over Whangārei and the outskirts and everything."
The Vegie Twins in Whangarei are open for online, phone and click and collect orders. Photo / Michael Cunningham
New Zealand Post staff have also been rushed off their feet delivering nearly the same volume as they would during the crazy Christmas period.
A spokeswoman said Northland posties are delivering around 70,000 packages a week, which was the same as the weekly average last December.
"Where the split is usually 70 per cent residential and 30 per cent business, at the moment it's more like 90 per cent residential," she said.
The spokeswoman said the company was doing "all we can" to keep staff and Kiwis safe as they go about their work.
"We've never operated under these sorts of conditions before," she said.
But not everyone is rushing to take part in the online shopping extravaganza.
Whangārei Age Concern president Beryl Wilkinson said many older people struggle with online shopping, which is often more costly due to delivery charges. Photo / file
Whangārei Age Concern president Beryl Wilkinson said there are a large number of older people who don't have access to computers.
"They're struggling. There's still a large number who haven't caught up to the internet banking process and want to pay by cash and cheque."
Wilkinson said for many elderly residents, shopping was a way to connect with people, and there was currently no way to do that.
Charges for deliveries were also adding to the cost, which is tough for those on low and fixed incomes, she said.
"That would be their weekly outing, and they love the communication with the person at the counter.
"The people contact is what they're missing. Things get dropped at the door, but there's no experience.
"The older population prefer to 'look, see and feel'. Online shopping for them is not as simple as it appears."
Retail NZ chief executive Greg Harford advises residents to shop around online and buy from brands they know and trust. Photo / file
Retail NZ chief executive Greg Harford advised residents to shop online and buy from brands they know and trust.
"It's always a good idea to shop local," he said.
If an online retailer had prices that were "too good to be true" or didn't have legitimate contact details, alarm bells should sound, he said.
And just because a website has a .co.nz web domain, doesn't mean it is a New Zealand business, as "anyone around the world can register a .co.nz website address".
"It is different to shopping normally, and for some customers it will be a shift over the next while.
"Be cautious but be confident in what you're doing. New Zealand businesses are all covered under the Consumer Guarantees Act and the Fair Trading Act."
Harford said it was good for all businesses to be online even if they just have a website showing their contact details.
"To be a successful retailer in the 21st century you need to have an online presence."
Swell of support for posties
One of the many thank you notes left out for hard-working posties by grateful residents. Photo / supplied
New Zealand Post is reporting a groundswell of gratitude as demand for parcel deliveries rises and staff are rushed off their feet.
Posties and couriers are reporting a range of special acknowledgements they are receiving from the community.
NZ Post chief executive David Walsh said one customer made a heart of balloons and tied it to her letterbox for her postie.
Another postie had a care package of fresh fruit and vegetables left out on their rural run, with a special message written on a pumpkin.
"We've had our delivery people report numerous chalk drawings on footpaths around the country, thanking them for their hard work, as well as posters taped to letterboxes and in windows.
"We've had hundreds of messages of thanks and support for our people who are working hard to get everyone's essential items out to them. This is just huge for the morale of our people during this time."
