Wellington homeware store Shut the Front Door latest to shut down in capital

Homeware store chain Shut the Front Door is the third Wellington business to announce its closure this week, after what owners called a “tough” last year in the capital.

The Herald recently reported that popular cafe Spruce Goose and textile workshop Minerva were both shutting down after many years in business.

Shut the Front Door owners announced on Wednesday on social media they were ending their nine-year run in Wellington.

“We held on as long as we could, fought hard to keep our Wellington store going, and poured everything into making it work,” the post read.

“While it breaks our hearts to close these doors, we’re incredibly grateful for the love and support Wellington has shown us over the years.”

The owners said the closure wasn’t “the end” but just “a breather”.

“We’re hopeful this is a short break before we return to Wellington again, in a new location, when the time is right.”

Store manager Lily Fletcher told the Herald the decision was not made lightly but was “obviously devastating”.

“I love my job, I love my team,” she said.

Fletcher described the store as a “fun” place that stocked lots of “eclectic” and “funky” items, and said it was especially popular with women.

Shut the Front Door owners said they hoped to return to Wellington "in a new location, when the time is right".

She said the store was busier when she started in 2022, and its location on College St was great because there were other boutiques nearby.

But there was a “noticeable shift” recently after neighbouring businesses closed down, causing a drop in foot traffic.

Fletcher said the owners tried their best to make the Wellington store work, but “it was really [a] last resort to close the shop.”

She acknowledged the impact of consistent business closures on Wellingtonians, noting long-time customers had sometimes come in upset.

“It brings down the overall vibe of the city when you have so many empty shops and closures.”

Shut the Front Door’s Wellington store will close on February 5, but its stores in Auckland and Christchurch will remain open.

Later that week, Spruce Goose will mark its last day serving customers at its Lyall Bay location.

A new hospitality venue is set to open in the cafe’s current spot next month.

Bookstore Minerva will be closing at the end of next month after 33 years in business.

Owner Anne Scott, 68, said she had “mixed feelings” about closing her store down in a tough economic climate and retiring.

Janhavi Gosavi is a Wellington-based journalist for the New Zealand Herald who covers news in the capital.