Lean times force store to close

Days of no sales have been a sad reality of the Covid-19 pandemic for a Dunedin rugby apparel store which is closing after 20 years in the centre of the city.

The Champions of the World Dunedin store in George St will close in May.

Manager Matt Clifford said it was sad to see the shop go, but the end had been coming for a while now.

Covid-19 had created a snowball effect on the retail industry and the business had been hit every step of the way.

A lot of sales came from tourists and sports fans after big matches, but with no matches or cruise ships the store relied solely on local sales.

It always sold a lot of jerseys from the winning team after a big match, but recently there had been days where the business had not sold anything.

There had also been constant supply issues and it had been left without fresh stock for Christmas.

A lack of parking in the city had also played a role, as there were few options nearby.

The business had only been able to stay open this long because the landlords had been accommodating to their situation, he said.

He had been with the business since it opened in 2002 and had worked through a lot of great events, such as the 2011 Rugby World Cup and the Ed Sheeran concerts in 2018.

"It’s been a pretty fun ride."

His last day with the store was last Wednesday.

It would remain open for a few more weeks before transitioning fully online.

The Queenstown branch would remain open, he said.