Northland preschoolers’ Unicorn Shop targeted by feijoa thief

Emmy (4) and Olive (2) Nicholl's 'Unicorn Shop' was stolen from. But the pair are making the most of the learning experience.

A pair of Northland sisters - aged two and four - have had their carefully picked feijoas stolen from their roadside stall.

Young Olive Nicholl and older sister Emilia created the Unicorn Shop to sell the Kiwi favourite.

On Thursday before daycare, they checked their stall to find their feijoas gone but no payment.

The girls excitedly told mum Kim Nicholl that the fruit - all $40 worth - was gone.

So was the tub holding the fruit, which the sisters had reinvested into their little business.

Nicholl was disappointed the theft had taken away from her daughters’ hard work.

But worse was that the stall was clearly run by children.

“The people who took it would have seen they’re a four-year-old and two-year-old,” Nicholl said.

Emilia (Emmy) who is four, spent an evening making sure the feijoas were marketable - only for them to be stolen.

“Morally ... you sort of think how can you take from little girls?”

Nicholl said they would have helped someone in need of food.

Emilia said the “mean” person had made herself and Olive feel “sad”.

Nicholl shared the girls’ ordeal on Facebook - the result of which were messages and comments from generous people wanting to send the pair money, containers, or offers of fruit to help their sales.

The family were grateful for the support. They received a donation from a generous family keen to make up for the feijoa loss.

Kim Nicholl was gratified by the communities outpouring of support for her daughter's shop. Pictured here is Olive (2).

Nicholl and husband Matt plan to build a bigger and better shop that is more accessible and safe.

“One they can access and add to their job list at night, so they have to lock up their stall and open it,” she said.

The girls’ Unicorn Shop started after the Nicholl family moved to their new home, where they plan to become self-sufficient when it comes to fruit and vegetables.

Emmy was disappointed by the feijoa thief's actions but she has taken it in her stride.

Nicholl said the stall had been a great way to get to know the community.

“They get really excited when (neighbours) pull over. They buy a lemon just so the girls can pretend to be shopkeepers.”

Brodie Stone is an education and general news reporter at the Advocate. Brodie has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.