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Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Just Looking celebrates 50 years of being open in Whanganui

Emma Bernard
By Emma Bernard
Multimedia journalist·Whanganui Chronicle·
13 Nov, 2022 04:00 PM3 mins to read

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Melanie Forrest (Just Looking), Dame Trelise Cooper, Deb Guthrie (Just Looking) Julia Leuchars (Cooper Designer/marketing director, Trelise Cooper Group) at Just Looking's 50th celebrations.

Melanie Forrest (Just Looking), Dame Trelise Cooper, Deb Guthrie (Just Looking) Julia Leuchars (Cooper Designer/marketing director, Trelise Cooper Group) at Just Looking's 50th celebrations.

A lot has changed in Whanganui retail over the past half century - and one business that has seen more than most says it is in a strong position as it marks 50 years in business.

Just Looking celebrated the milestone with a 200-person event which included a Trelise Cooper fashion parade.

Dame Trelise Cooper and Julia Leuchars (TC Group marketing director and Cooper Designer) flew to Whanganui, especially for the function.

Tony Guthrie said the show blew his expectations out the door.

"We've been supported really well, and Covid-19 actually brought a lot of business because people were travelling from other parts of New Zealand to Whanganui," Guthrie said.

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Guthrie said the team thrived on giving that top service.

"When we're sourcing clothes for the store we look at what specific customers would like.

"So if there's a dress one of our customers might like, we will get it. That's how we work," she said.

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The store's been at its current location on Victoria Ave since 1990, after the original shop burnt down.

Guthrie said the shop was currently stocking 77 labels.

"A few of the suppliers come to us, but most of the time Deborah and Melanie will fly to Auckland, Melbourne or Sydney to decide what to stock."

The fashion show was a mix of Cooper's new summer pieces and pieces from their own label Duo.

The original co-owner of a Whanganui store says a lot has changed since it opened its doors in 1972.

The store was opened by Lynne and Rob Vinsen, taken over by Deborah and Tony Guthrie in 2016, with Melanie and James Forrest joining them in 2018 when a Palmerston North store was added.

"For a locally owned business, it's certainly stood the test of time," the store's founding co-owner Rob Vinsen said.

He said this was because they built a good culture over that time.

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"It's simple, the customer comes first.

"It's a cliche, but it's true. Everything we did was with that in mind."

He said they also always had a high standard of presentation.

Vinsen was the owner when import restrictions were lifted in New Zealand.

"So in the early days we would buy from local manufacturers, but that all changed in the 90s and we had the world open to us for suppliers."

He said that was a strength of what built the business up.

"Lynne would travel overseas to the US and Europe at least three times a year to source products for Just Looking and 27 other retailers in New Zealand.

"Now the opportunity is even greater because of online purchasing, and so depending on how clever you are the whole world can be your market."

"And Deb and Mel have been able to carry that on."

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