Business Press 2020-21
Anger after small businesses wait nearly an hour for Police after call for help
“They have lost their faith and lost their trust in the system. Now don’t get me wrong, police are doing their good job, but there is not enough police. They are stretched. They’re underfunded,” he said.
Parnell Business Association manager Cheryl Adamson agreed. “We’re just not always seeing them, the response to call outs is sporadic, like sometimes they do come, sometimes they don’t come,” Adamson said.
Adamson said crime was a complicated issue which required a collective effort from the ministers of police, housing, and health.
What do we do? Store owners frustrated over crime wave
Sumi said it had been a safe neighbourhood but a recent spate of crime has been ridiculous. She said they have to upgrade their security system and the cost is not only just financial. “We keep on bearing these costs and then they come in and break it… I know insurance covers some of these stuff but it’s just like, all our time and all the effort and our well-being.”
Kalpesh Patel, the owner of Hilltop Superette in Parnell, said his store was ram-raided a month ago. He said the police could not attend on the night, and only visited the next morning.
Business Associations Unite in Plea for Alert Level Change
A group of high-profile Auckland business associations have penned an open letter asking the Prime Minister to shift down Alert Levels. Their message is simply, ‘Let’s Get Moving’.
Heart of the City, Newmarket, Parnell, Ponsonby and Takapuna Business Associations have acknowledged the Prime Minister’s announcement on 22 October, detailing the new COVID-19 Protection Framework, the key milestones, and the additional financial support being made available for businesses. They noted that although the increase in support provides a lifeline, the situation is not sustainable and all that businesses really want to do is trade.
Businesses plea for restrictive settings in Auckland to be loosened
Auckland businesses are asking Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to shift down into the third phase of alert level 3 as they struggle nearly three months into lockdown.
Heart of the City and the Newmarket, Parnell, Ponsonby and Takapuna business associations are asking for the region to “get moving” in an open letter. It’s asking the Government to urgently support local economies and save businesses, especially as the region is on the cusp of being 90 per cent vaccinated.
“Government handouts are a lifeline, but all we really want to do is trade,” the letter said, noting Auckland was entering its 11th week, or 77 days, in lockdown following the outbreak of Delta in the community.
Auckland business groups urge PM to relax restrictions
A group of central Auckland business associations have penned an open letter to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, asking for Covid-19 restrictions to be eased.
The city is currently at Alert Level 3, Step 1.
Heart of the City and the Newmarket, Parnell, Ponsonby and Takapuna Business Associations say they can operate safely in Tāmaki Makaurau at Alert Level 3, Step 3. The associations acknowledged Ardern’s announcement on 22 October, detailing the new traffic light system and the additional financial support being made available for businesses.
COVID-19: Business groups urge PM to relax lockdown restrictions
A group of central Auckland business associations have penned an open letter to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, asking for Covid-19 restrictions to be eased.
The city is currently at alert level 3, step 1.
Heart of the City and the Newmarket, Parnell, Ponsonby and Takapuna Business Associations say they can operate safely in Tāmaki Makaurau at alert level 3, step 3.
How to ride the low carbon wave and get ahead
As carbon-zero becomes mainstream, we’re seeing a new level of climate ambition, which is allowing businesses to really demonstrate their commitment to sustainability – via investment in projects and offsetting more than their own footprint, which ultimately generates a climate positive outcome.
In our local area of Parnell, we’ve seen several larger organisations get ahead of the low-carbon wave…
Covid 19 Delta Outbreak. Businesses in Auckland on the point of collapse
The co-owner of ASC Salon, Andrea Cockle has been burning through her savings to meet the payroll of her 11 staff and the other expenses that come with owning a hair salon.
“I don’t even know if we’d survive another lockdown. It’s just, we’ve lost quite a significant amount of personal money ourselves because we’ve had to keep reinvesting into our business. That’s our livelihood. So we’ve chosen that as being our first priority,” Cockle said.
The corrosive effect of staged sector Covid lockdowns
When politicians arbitrarily make rules for different sectors in lockdown, they seem to do so with little regard for the impact on business in town centres, and certainly with no understanding of human consumer behaviour.
A town centre or high street is a fragile ecosystem with various co-dependent parts.
None of these categories exist in isolation, and the balance of ‘needs’ and ‘wants’ is critical in the mix.
Auckland Businesses want clarity on 3-step reopening plan
Parnell Business Association general manager Cheryl Adamson called the announcement, which mentioned the word “business” only once, “really unhelpful”.
“It creates more uncertainty and businesses need certainty.”
Not only was there little practical help for businesses trying to plan a reopening strategy, but there was no indication of what milestones might need to be met to move to different levels.
“[Jacinda Ardern] gave us a roadmap with no timelines. It makes it really hard to plan – for staff in hospitality, for example. People are hanging on to staff, not wanting to let them go, but they can’t do that forever.”
Businesses must not lose focus on sustainability
With Auckland facing the reality of a Level 4 lockdown extension and the rest of the country settling into the new Delta Level 2, businesses are yet again put in a position where they must adapt to stay connected with consumers. And despite the ongoing hardships of COVID-19, Kiwis have not dialled down their enthusiasm on sustainability. In this new age of conscious consumerism, businesses can either embrace or resist change.
Newmarket and Parnell Business Associations advocate for hospitality support
Restaurant and café 9 Sept 2021
Cheryl Adamson, Parnell Business Association general manager, said while last year saw business owners put on a brave face and struggle through level changes, the new Delta Level 2 restrictions are totally unworkable for the hospitality sector.
“2020 was tough enough, notwithstanding acute staff shortages that have grown over the past year. Many said Level 3 was too hard for their eateries, and aside from the seasoned takeaway providers such as Indian or Thai restaurants who might survive, we predict far fewer outlets will even try to keep going this time around,” Adamson said.
Newmarket and Parnell Business associations call for hospitality support following Delta Level 2 changes
Following the announcement of Delta Level 2 restrictions outside of Auckland, Business Association heads for Newmarket and Parnell are calling for the government to acknowledge its impact on the hospitality sector and provide more robust, urgent support for businesses. With the hospitality industry already under siege, they say the new rules, if implemented in the same way for Auckland, will create further dire consequences on both on-site service and takeaway performance, rent and crime.
The power of landowners to create a good town centre retail mix
The history that led up to Auckland Council’s recent focus on Queen St’s makeover has certainly highlighted their ability to fragment and negatively disrupt a shopping area.
But encouragingly, the debate around process and design has also brought to light the collective power landowners can possess if they unite for a single objective.
The future of commercial properties, flexible spaces
Cheryl Adamson reports on how Covid-19 has impacted on our approach to working space, work and the workplace itself. Will office space ever be the same?
The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed how we live, work and play, having an indelible impact on every facet of our lives. Like so many industries, 2020 was a difficult year for the commercial property sector – with more people continuing to work from home and companies downsizing, many businesses have been trying to extract themselves from onerous leases or thinking about reconfiguring their space.
What now for flexible workspaces?
There’s no denying that the pandemic has affected how people interact, says Cheryl Adamson, GM of the Parnell Business Association.
“This will have an impact on the way we approach space, work and the workplace.
“Covid-19 has accelerated what may have taken another five years for people to realise about flexible office space and, more importantly, office space in general.”
Long-term leases, centralised office locations and rigid working conditions are becoming a thing of the past, she says.“Making way for flexibility and a new hybrid way of working.”
Parnell Focus on… Parnell
The Parnell Business Association has bypassed the agency world to launch an ad campaign “to celebrate local residents and businesses”.
Stephanie Helm, of Parnell PR shop One Plus One Comms, said: “There are no ad or PR agency partners involved.
“One Plus One provides PR and communications support for the Parnell Business Association, however this campaign was conceived entirely by Cheryl Adamson and her team.
Campaign To Celebrate Local Residents And Businesses
COVID-19 has tested our economic resilience in many ways and highlighted the important connection between local businesses, residents and the suburbs they live in. Whilst Parnell is famous for its cafes and galleries, it’s also home to a diverse range of people with fascinating stories and perspectives to share about the area.
To celebrate all of these ‘Parnellians,’ the Parnell Business Association has launched an Auckland-wide media campaign titled ‘Take a Seat in Parnell’ which shares the unique stories of people behind these thriving businesses, alongside residents, many who have called the suburb ‘home’ for several years.
Tony Astle's 47-year-old Parnell restaurant Antoine's shuts up shop
Veteran chef Tony Astle has closed his popular Parnell restaurant Antoine’s.
The award-winning, 47-year-old establishment – which specialised in fine dining using old-fashion-style silver service – shut its doors two weeks ago.
Parnell Business Association general manager Cheryl Adamson said the closure was an end of an era for Parnell.
Cheryl Adamson: Town centres need a fair go from Auckland Unlimited
Town centre managers have worked hard to make the most of what was an impressive line-up of international events organised by Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (Ateed)
Now that Ateed has officially merged with Regional Facilities Auckland (RFA) to become Auckland Unlimited, we wait to see how this new entity will work with town centres to capitalise on future events in our biggest city.
Luxury goods targeted by organised crime groups in affluent areas
Shoplifting and anti-social criminal behaviour impacting retail businesses are increasing across Auckland town centres.
Newmarket, Parnell, Ponsonby and even Karangahape Rd are among the latest city fringe “hotspots” that have been tackling increased crime over the past six months.
Cheryl Adamson, general manager of Parnell Business Association, said Parnell had also experienced a significant increase in shoplifting and anti-social behaviour this year.
Election 2020: Simon Wilson's election diary - Seymour and Swarbrick on a telling night in Parnell
It was a small-business meeting in Parnell on Wednesday night, hosted by the Parnell Business Association, and what they all wanted to know was: when will it end? Not the election campaign, although maybe that too. They meant the Covid crisis.
“Give us a date. We need a date,” pleaded a man whose travel agency has been all but destroyed.
It was the last night of level 2, no masks except the guy on the door, but table service drinks and a separate platter of finger food for every participant.
“You cannot share your crackers,” they told us.
Power dressing - how to boost the rental potential of an empty retail space
Driving down Auckland’s Parnell Rise one afternoon pre-lockdown, I played my usual game, counting the number of empty stores with multiple “For Lease” signs in their windows. On this particular day, there were 15. High streets and small businesses create a sense of community and bring people together to shop, browse, explore and discover…..
With these benefits in mind, some weeks later, when the country was in Alert Level 4, I met online with Parnell Business Association general manager Cheryl Adamson, and together we worked up a plan for design ideas with some building owners who were happy to participate.
Parnell Business Association's Cheryl Adamson answered your questions about the future of town centres
Town centres have a personality and a pulse. Social contact is a vital part of our wellbeing, so the connectivity that town centres can offer is irreplaceable.
Cheryl Adamson is the general manager of the Parnell Business Association, representing one of the country’s retail golden miles, and she was here to answer your questions about how we may need to change our town centres in the future to keep them thriving.
What can New Zealand cities do about their empty building problem?
Almost every town centre has one. A rundown neglected building that has sat vacant for years. For local communities, these buildings represent a frustrating eyesore, a missed opportunity to recreate it into a business or a public space and ultimately a physical manifestation of economic decline if left to deteriorate.
For the landowner, it’s often a land banking opportunity. It’s in their best interest to keep the building empty, to avoid maintenance and upkeep costs and continue paying low rates on a diminished value – as a beautifully maintained, well tenanted property would attract a higher capital value.
Guerrilla leasing on Parnell 'ghost shop': Business acts against Hong Kong landlord
A “ghost shop”, which a community group says has been empty for a decade in the midst of swanky Parnell, got a surprise guerrilla leasing campaign this week which left the owner’s representative angry and upset.
Parnell Business Association chief executive Cheryl Adamson said her entity spent about $5000 having a professionally produced full-length floral vinyl wrap made, desperately advertising the premises for lease.
“This neglected, vacant building has now been aesthetically transformed via a colourful flower window wrap as a form of community protest,” Adamson said today.
