Retailer’s relocation means op-shop looking for a new home

Queenstown’s Postie Plus, at the Five Mile Shopping Centre, is moving to Alexandra, taking over...
Queenstown’s Postie Plus, at the Five Mile Shopping Centre, is moving to Alexandra, taking over the premises occupied by Oasis Opportunity Shop in Ennis St. PHOTOS: JARED MORGAN/TRACEY ROXBURGH
Clothing retailer Postie is returning to Alexandra after a three-year absence, but the move comes at the expense of its Queenstown store in the Five Mile Shopping Centre.

Postie chief executive Linda Leonard confirmed the Queenstown outlet would shut up shop on Anzac Day.

Three staff would go as a result of the closure.

In a brief statement she thanked customers without going into the reasons for the store closing.

"The time has come for us to move on from our store at Five Mile Shopping Centre in Queenstown, and the store is scheduled to close on April 25.

"We truly value every community we serve, and we’d like to thank the people of Queenstown for their loyalty and support during our time at this location."

In the same statement she confirmed the Alexandra move.

"Postie is returning to Alexandra, and we look forward to welcoming customers to our new store due to open there in June on Ennis St."

Recruitment for positions at the store was under way.

The retailer’s return to Alexandra means the Oasis Opportunity Shop, which occupies the Ennis St (Centre Point car park) building Postie will take over, is left without a home.

Oasis co-ordinators Margaret Bennie and Barbara Grubb said that was something the op-shop, which operates under the umbrella of Catholic Social Services Dunedin and Central Otago, had always been braced for.

The agreement with the building’s owners was the op-shop could occupy the space in a below-market rent lease agreement but if a tenant was found which could pay market rent it would have to move on.

Mrs Grubb said the team behind the operation, which was run in shifts by 40 volunteers, was "very grateful" for the arrangement.

Mrs Bennie said the op-shop would close on April 30 and it was "the end of an era" after two and a-half years in that location.

The search was now on for a new location with a rent that did not take away from the charity work, the pair said.

Mrs Bennie said while they had looked at various other vacant shops they had "exhausted all avenues" so far.

Operated by South African-based investment and holding company Pepkor, Postie has 65 retail clothing stores in New Zealand. In its first investment in this country, Pepkor bought Postie Plus following the retailer being placed in voluntary administration in 2014.

jared.morgan@odt.co.nz

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