5 May, 2021

Emporium of everything but too few customers

Ike’s Emporium in Devonport is closing after 20 years of trading.

“It’s the only one of its kind,” said 10-year-old customer Kate Norris when the Flagstaff visited the store last week.

“It’s a sign of the times,” said a somewhat older, but equally sad gent, of the outlet’s recently announced closure on 19 May.

Customers felt sorry for the shop’s long-standing staff. Four workers will lose their jobs, delayed casualties of Covid-19 and the collapse in visitor numbers that has already claimed other businesses in the village.

For a generation, Ike’s has met the needs of many local people for bits and bobs, ranging from dress-up costumes and party supplies to haberdashery and art-and-craft needs.

Kate and her sister were in to buy “fidgets” – stretchy monkey-noodle toys. Several women said they were stocking up on fabric and other sewing supplies to avoid having to head up Lake Rd to Wairau Park or beyond.

Owner Derrol Lamb said the decision to close was a tough one, but it had taken on an air of inevitability in the face of the continuing global pandemic. The business had hoped to bounce back, he said, “but it was a lot worse than we thought.”

Unlike the company’s other stores in Browns Bay and Mt Eden, in Devonport the business relied on tourists buying Kiwiana souvenirs for a good chunk of its income.

“It’s going to be a long time before we see cruise ships again,” Lamb said.

Ike’s staff told the Flagstaff they understood rent and wage costs also contributed to the decision to shut down. Full-timer Raewyn Thompson, who has been with Ike’s for more than six years, is job hunting. “I’ll miss all the people,” she says. Irene Low, who has worked there for more than 15 years, is planning to do more in the not-for-profit sector.

The women have been busy since news leaked out that Ike’s was closing. They hope regulars will pop in to say goodbye during the sale period.

Lamb said while he would “never say never” to reopening in Devonport if trading conditions picked up, this was unlikely. He took over the parent store in Dominion Rd, known as Geoff’s Emporium, from his father, Geoff. The two Ike’s stores opened later took their name from his childhood nickname. Deciding to close, he said, “one of the hardest things you can do.”