Trade Aid shifts online
Since June 2024, much loved ethical retailer, Trade Aid has been steadily moving its retail operation online and closing stores. This includes Hamilton’s CBD shop in Worley Street.
The Waikato Independent caught up with Marketing Executive Brittany Halligan to find out how the closures have impacted the relationship with their customers.
Halligan said the business has shifted their focus from retail to wholesaling with the aim to encourage more business activity.
Trade Aid was established in 1973 as a social enterprise to create fairness in trade. Halligan said “We hope a shift of focusing on wholesale will encourage more businesses to actually support fair trade and understand the fair trade trading concept.”
Halligan confirmed there has been an initial drop in sales as the ‘bricks and mortar’ stores have closed and the range of goods on offer has diminished, however she highlighted the positive impact of the business.
“I think the main positive for us is really the community we’ve built over the years showing their support. We’re hearing these beautiful stories from long term customers coming in and telling us about their first purchases”
Trade Aid is set up in a trust system so while Halligan said that redundancies were made both at the head office and in stores, the trusts are stilling running and trading continues.
“Trading is very important, its the heart of what we do. We’re not going to stop being advocates of fair trade” she said.
Hamilton Central Business Association general manager, Vanessa Williams described Trade Aid as a stalwart of the central city. She said it’s always disappointing to see a well established, well liked business close, acknowledging that the cost of living has impacted the city centre with “retail now looked at as luxury spending.”
Williams said central retail stores are having to ‘batten down the hatches’ as vacancy rates increase. “It’s been a tough few years especially coming off the back end of covid”.
Student, Julia Bartley is a loyal customer at Trade Aid and has regularly shopped in store for sentimental gifts. She said her purchases were always “carefully crafted and felt very special to give to my loved ones.”
Bartley said of the move online that she “will definitely try to consider Trade Aid” when it comes to shopping online but being a student means she doesn’t always have the budget. She feels that it is a business she’d like to continue to support however, as when she does shop her “money is being invested well and participating towards pay equity.”
According to the Trade Aid website, stores have been closed in 17 centres across the North and South Islands with decision still to be confirmed for Christchurch, Kapiti, Nelson, Palmerston North, Ponsonby, Sylvia Park and Wellington. The online store is now trading and offering a reduced range of goods.
