**John and Sue Collett are closing the chapter on 20 years of retail at Totara Point. Photo: Dan Hutchinson**

Sue and John Collett still remember their children roller-skating on the freshly polished concrete floors of their Totara Point store.

That was 2006, when the premises were purpose-built for Danske Mobler Taupō, with the couple putting their house on the line and two kids aged 5 and 8 at home.

"We literally had everything on the line to get this business up and running," John recalls. "It was a leap of faith."

Two decades later, that leap has paid off. The Colletts have sold Danske Mobler Taupō to VanDyks, a Kiwi-owned retailer operating eight North Island furniture stores including the Beds R Us on Spa Rd.

VanDyks will open a Van Dyks Living store on Spa Rd, taking up the space vacated by the Salvation Army Family Store, and will continue to stock exclusive brands including La-Z-Boy, Stressless, Alfred Street and Danske Mobler.

"It doesn't feel like 20 years," John says.

"Some days it feels like we've been here forever, and other days it's like, oh gosh, that seems quick."

The transition has been designed with customers in mind.

All existing sales and delivery staff are moving to the new site, and John will stay on as store manager for 12 months to ensure continuity.

Before launching Danske Mobler Taupō, John spent nearly seven years as sales manager at Taupō Furniture Court.

When that business closed, the couple saw an opportunity and took it.

Operating as a joint venture with Kiwi-owned manufacturer and importer Danske Mobler, which supplied stock and marketing support while the Colletts ran day-to-day operations.

They built a business that outlasted 20 other furniture stores in the town.

John puts their longevity down to one thing above all else.

"Ultimately it's just good customer service, support, belief, trust, all those sorts of things."

The business wasn't without its trials.

The Covid-19 pandemic brought factory closures and shipping delays, stretching customer wait times. But it also delivered an unexpected boom.

"People weren't travelling, so that discretionary spend went into their homes instead," Sue says.

The Colletts' final day of trading is March 26, with VanDyks planning to open the new store shortly after Easter, pending fit-out and staff training.

The Hospice Shop will move into the vacated Danske Mobler Taupō site, gaining more room and a more fit-for-purpose space.

Sue is stepping back entirely. A registered nurse, she plans to return to healthcare once business operations are wrapped up over the coming months.

The couple want to acknowledge those who made the journey possible: Pointon Properties and the Pointon family for two decades of landlord support, Danske Mobler owners Alan and Kerry Winter, and every staff member past and present who helped build what the store became.