The gift that keeps on giving

Shopology – the gift that keeps on giving

By Timmi Aplin-Barrett

Back in 2016, Sally Paterson and Sarah Gamble started a little shop in the Christchurch CBD. From there, it’s grown into a gorgeous gift store in Little Riverside Laneway that specialises in supporting New Zealand makers and designers.

Canterbury Today speaks to Sally and Sarah to find out how the journey began and how they’re getting on now.

What inspired the creation of Shopology?

We are both really creative and like quality products with a story. Initially, we both had our own businesses that needed a retail outlet and we started a collective; sharing a large site in the old container mall. It was super successful and really fun working with other small business owners. After the container mall finished, we decided to open up elsewhere and had a couple of really great years in the Christchurch Arts Centre. We have progressively moved away from the collective model but still focus on providing products from smaller, bespoke makers who have original products with a story. Sally is from a farming background and supporting farmers and the wool industry is something we both care about.

What challenges have you faced in creating and running this business?

I think we’ve progressed a lot despite the bumps and hurdles. Christchurch has had its fair share of hurdles. 14 | www.canterburytoday.co.nz When we started six years ago, Christchurch was still recovering from the earthquakes, then three years ago we had the Mosque shooting, which was really traumatizing. Then, when we moved to the Riverside store three years ago, it took about a year for people to start coming back into the city. Then Covid happened! There are a lot of changes happening in retail too, with the growth of online shopping. Despite all these challenges, we love being a bricks and mortar store and have pride in our products and service. We think there will always be a need for good shops with excellent service and quality original products.

What’s been the most rewarding part of Shopology?

Happy customers. We meet amazing people from all around the world every day, and with the recent return of cruise ships it has been transformed. We love hearing the positive feedback from everyone about the store, and Christchurch in general. Other kiwis who haven’t been to Christchurch in ages just rave about it and we find that really rewarding. We feel like we are a real part of the change and love being part of the Riverside development. Our laneway has a unique vibe that locals and visitors just love. We also have staff that have been with us pretty much since the beginning and we work together well as a team - so that’s also very rewarding.

What’s one piece of advice you would want to give to yourself back when you first started Shopology?

You need to be driven and passionate and it’s a lot easier selling things you love than items you don’t believe in. You’re going to need persistence. And, surround yourself with good people – that’s really key.

What does the future hold for Shopology?

We are super excited about the future of the business, as the tourists are starting to return. Until you’ve worked in a tourist industry, you can’t really appreciate what good spenders they are! We are also excited about the growth of Christchurch too and the general buzz around town. We are really proud to have a business in the CBD and be part of this new era for Christchurch. For more information, visit: www.shopology. co.nz, or pop instore and visit the team at Little Riverside Lane, Riverside Market, 6/86 Cashel Street, Christchurch. CT

THE DREAM TEAM

Three for the price of one represents exceptional value for money in anyone’s books. That’s certainly how Debbie Pettigrew’s clients feel, who are lucky enough to get not one but three experienced and successful real estate professionals as part of the package!

Armed with a Bachelor’s degree in valuation and property management, Debbie embarked on her career in real estate more than a decade ago. Since then, she’s earned a reputation as one of the region’s leading agents, consistently ranking amongst Harcourts Grenadier’s Top 10, and winning the Top Sales Consultant award for the Beckenham office on numerous occasions. In January this year she was ranked 5th in Canterbury across the entire Harcourts network.

But she hasn’t done it alone. In the last two years Debbie has made some significant changes to her business, bringing two other highly-driven individuals onboard to create a powerful combination of ideas, expertise and capabilities.

The first to join was Sally McMillian, a licensed real estate salesperson whose background in high-level customer service roles helped hone her exceptional people skills. Hard-working and detail-orientated, Sally’s empathetic approach helps her build strong relationships with her clients and develop tailored strategies designed to embrace their unique needs.

Then there’s Carole Le Beau, who keeps the wheels in motion behind the scenes. Drawing on more than 25 years of real estate and customer service experience, Carol ensures every ‘I’ is dotted and ever ‘t’ is crossed from a logistical perspective. Between them, the three women deliver a blend of creative thinking, marketing nous and systematic excellence which invariably produces outstanding results. For Debbie, having three different personalities and perspectives working together is invaluable. ‘We really complement each other”, she says. “There’s never any shortage of ideas and viewpoints, which is priceless when you’re coming up with strategies or striving to solve challenges. We’re certainly stronger together”. Of course, there have been plenty of challenges over the last two years, with the world thrown into turmoil by Covid19. But another of the team’s core traits – the ability to embrace an agile mindset – has held them in good stead throughout. “We’re really open-minded, and really solutions-focused”, says Debbie. “We care deeply about getting great results for our clients and, to put it simply, we don’t rest until we figure out a way to do just that!”.

The concept of care and responsibility is something which resonates with all three members of the team. ‘When we partner with a client, we commit fully”, says Sally. ‘It’s never enough to just ‘get the job done’ – we’ve built our reputation around going above and beyond to exceed our client’s expectations and deliver uncommonly good results’.

The trio also share a deep passion for Christchurch and the wider region. “I’m a born-and-bred Cantabrian’, says Debbie. “I’ve travelled extensively over the years, but every trip away serves to remind me of how lucky we are to live in this very special part of the world’.

That love for, and knowledge of, the local market helps the team market a huge variety of properties right across the city. “While we sell a lot of homes around Cashmere and the surrounding areas, we’re in no way restricted to this part of town”, adds Sally.

Nor are they confined to a particular type of property. “We’ve definitely earned a reputation for marketing high-end properties”, comments Debbie. “But that certainly isn’t all we do. We love helping first home buyers start their journeys. And we love helping downsizers embark on the next exciting chapter. We list everything from townhouses and rentals to family homes and lifestyle properties – we even dabble in commercial property on the odd occasion!”

Of course, the power of the Harcourts brand has also played an integral part in the success Debbie and her team have achieved to date. “There are huge benefits to being part of the Harcourts network”, says Carol. “The training is world-class, as are the resources at our disposal, and the support available for our clients. We have everything we need to ensure each, and every property gets the reach and exposure it deserves”.

As far as the market goes right now, Debbie believes things are still incredibly buoyant in Canterbury. “Things certainly aren’t buttoning off”, she says. “While other main centres like Auckland and Wellington may be approaching their peak right now, the market here still feels like it has some way to go before we realise the true value of property. Interest rates are still low (relative to some of the highs of years gone by), and there’s still significant demand from buyers.

If you’re thinking of buying or selling property in or around Christchurch, and you’d like to work alongside Debbie, Sally and Carol, you can reach them on debbie.pettigrew@harcourts.co.nz

Grenadier Real Estate Ltd MREINZ. Licensed Agent REAA 2008 Debbie 0274 615 727 SALLY MCMILLAN Licensed Sales Consultant with Debbie