Business blossoming in spring
Tracey and Mark Clavis will be firing the barbecues up for their opening celebration on Saturday.
With longer days and spring in the air, it’s not only flowers that are sprouting all over the place, but shops as well.
From the editor Dan Hutchinson
I had a brief chat to the owners of 100% Home last week – Tracey and Mark Clavis as they were busy taking deliveries ahead of their opening this weekend on Spa Rd.
Their journey into the retail sector a few years ago is actually a happy accident. Mark went up to Whangamata to look at a boat and while he wasn’t too keen on that, the owner also had a 100% Home business for sale, so he snapped that up instead.
That’s worked out pretty well so now, they are setting up another store in their hometown of Taupō, stocking everything from Weber barbecues, to appliances, stand up paddle boards and even tiny homes.
People can snaffle something from the barbecue during the public opening on Saturday.
Just around the corner on Ruapehu St, St Pierres has just opened its latest sushi store, while further out in Tauhara, work has begun on building the new Bunnings Store.
And it’s not just Taupō that is busy expanding its retail offering. In Kinloch work is well underway on the new retail complex – Kinloch Village.
The complex includes a 500 square metre supermarket and eight retail spaces, ranging in size from 39-142 square metres. It is due to be finished by the end of the year.
Curiously, down by the marina, along from the store there is what appears to be a small McDonalds Restaurant emerging within an existing building. We’ll check that out over the next week.
We’ve also been down the southern end of the lake a couple of times this week – firstly for the delightfully-named ‘Site Blessing and Sod Turning’ to mark the beginning of construction at the Te Aho o te Rā Solar Farm. You can read about that on page 5.
This farm is one of the smaller solar projects around the lake that are either proposed or under construction and it won’t be long before it’s more than the vast expanse of the lake that is twinkling back as you fly overhead.
Hmmm, what’s going on in Kinloch?
We also popped into the Business After 5 in Tūrangi on Tuesday evening to catch up with developments there. There’s some cool stuff happening so keep an eye on the paper next week for an update on that.
Our readers are always keen to know what’s happening in the business sector, so make sure you let us know what you’re up to so we can share the news.
In other news this week, it seems Santa will in fact be coming to town this year, thanks to a late change in organiser.
These sorts of events are all about community and just about everybody has magic memories of a Santa Parade they have been to.
It’s time to dust off the old floats, take them to the next level or perhaps get involved for the first time. The more the merrier.
Also, this week, keep an eye on some of our local landmarks.
It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and three local landmarks are set to light up in bright pink during October.
The #LOVETAUPO sign, Hilton Lake Taupō, and Great Lake Centre are taking part in the Global Illuminations campaign, joining 114 landmarks and prominent buildings glowing pink across Aotearoa.
The pink lights are more than an eye-catching display – they’re a show of support for New Zealanders affected by breast cancer.
They’re also a reminder that finding breast cancer early gives people the greatest chance of successful treatment and survival.
Breast Cancer Foundation NZ’s Pink Ribbon Street Appeal will be happening on October 16-17 and thousands of volunteers will be out with their pink buckets, raising money for that charity’s vital work.
Volunteers are still needed for the Pink Ribbon Street Appeal. To sign up or find other ways to get involved in Breast Cancer Awareness Month, visit breastcancerfoundation.org.nz/bcam