COVID-19 brought us unprecedented restrictions to our regular routines - LOCKDOWN used to be only a prison term! But Fiona from Baker’s shoes and More looks back reflectively on what has been a difficult few months.
“Closing the doors on the eve of Wednesday 25th March was incredibly sad and stressful, even though we and I am sure many others, enjoyed staying at homes with our families in our ‘Bubbles’. The doors were shut, but there were still bills to pay as nearly all of our winter stock had arrived prior to lockdown! We should all be thankful we live in New Zealand though, as we are far away from the dreadful casualties occurring in the UK, USA and Europe.”
Fiona is not one to shy away from a challenge and has built her business on a strong philosophy centred around quality, comfort, value for money and customer service. That reputation was evident when the store reopened on Thursday May 14th to an influx of customers all eager to quench their retail thirst that had been curtailed due to Covid.
“Reopening the doors for Level 2 was Epic! We had only been able to sell slippers for the previous 7 weeks and the community was out in force, like the Christmas Eve’s of old! It was truly a humbling experience to share in the kindness and support that the Buy Local campaign generated, from both a national and more local level supported by The Waiuku Business Association and elocal. It was great to see all our regulars and lots of new locals coming into the shop.”
Fiona says that despite the ravages of Covid, ladies Winter fashion is all about colour and suitably adventurous after the restraint of lockdown, Leather sneakers and sneaker boots are a great casual option and delightfully comfortable, plus there are some classy ankle boots to take you from day to evening wear. Kids shoes too are not to be forgotten and parents are coming to realise more and more that spending that little bit extra gives you quality that lasts longer and is more comfortable and with a long-lasting style that they love.
So, what are you waiting for? There is ample parking, and based in the middle of Waiuku, Bakers Shoes and More is surrounded by any number of eateries and other local shops which make for a jolly good day out!