After setting up Play It Again Records in Invercargill in 1972, she set up a Queenstown branch in the then-new O’Connell’s Pavilion in 1988, which closed down in 2010.
By then she’d opened Peak Interiors — originally First Impressions — which traded from various premises, the latest being the Five Mile shopping centre.
"There’s not really any specialties in that kind of thing left in Queenstown," she says.
Evans believes compliance costs, electricity and transport costs in the area and, especially, rising rents have made it too hard for small local independent retailers to make a profit. She also believes retail’s never recovered since Covid.
However, she’ll still be able to service longtime customers one-on-one.
And she’ll continue her successful Peak Interiors homestaging business, which is popular with many local real estate agents, and her fitouts for developers and builders.
"When I opened my homestaging business many years ago, it was common to see real estate ads with rubbish bags featured in kitchen photos, unmade beds in bedrooms.
"By presenting homes to international standards, it’s the best investment people can make for their property when they’re selling."
Taking over her Five Mile premises will be the Golf Warehouse — ironically, next to The Warehouse.
