Sandy (Rewahard, Pro Club) and Penny (Print and Stitch).

​

Penny:

​

We met through studying together. I was already running Print and Stitch, and Sandy helped out doing some work for me. We then became business partners! Sandy manages Rewahard and Pro Club, while I still manage Print and Stitch. We both have a background in graphic design, and love the people of Manurewa!

​

Describe your retail stores - there are three to choose from!

​

Penny and Sandy:

Print and Stitch puts labels onto school uniforms, T-shirts, caps. We print and stitch for local sports clubs, businesses, and the general public. We’ve seen a lot of young people start their own brands in the 14 years we’ve been here. But only a few are still around today. We say, ‘“Don’t give up so quickly!”

​

Pro Club are a USA clothing brand, specialising in quality trendy streetwear. This includes: jackets, basketball shirts, pants, bags and accessories. This brand is popular with rappers and artists, especially in the hip hop and dance scenes. The clothing is premium quality and is suitable for all genders.

​

Rewahard sells heaps of popular clothing brands like: Dickies, Mitchell & Ness, Adidas, Nixon, and our very own brands - Rewahard, and sunglasses brand SA. SA is popular and the letters stand for our area of South Auckland. We have many more brands that also make up our headwear and jewellery collections. Come on in and have a look!

​

Sandy, How did you come up with the brand name Rewahard?

​

Sandy:

​

Well, it was quite simple: we had to think about, “Who is our customer?” ‘Rewa’ represents Manurewa and ‘hard’ are the people, our customers. ‘Big energy, young’. The whole process did take a while to copyright as a brand name, so we had to be patient.

​

What makes a successful retail business?

​

Penny and Sandy:

Customer service is very important. In our stores we create an environment where shopping is fun. We have the right music that our customers like, and you can see we sell both male and female clothing. Lighting is also very important and we used our graphic backgrounds to design the look and feel of the stores. It’s hard work and you may not see the growth at first, but you have to wait.

​

Customer loyalty - we know it’s important, how do you do it so well!?

​

Penny and Sandy:

​

You make a friend first, before you run a business. We sometimes look after the customers’ baby in the trolley so that the parents can shop! That’s customer service!We stock quality products, and that’s what our customers want.

​

Describe the local community of Manurewa.

​

Penny and Sandy:

​

Really nice people. Of course every community has both good and bad, but in Manurewa the people are really friendly and honest. I had a business in another Auckland suburb and the people didn’t smile and were not as friendly. Locals are generally so happy, and friendly!

​

Are there any local attractions here that stand out?

​

Sandy:

​

The Santa parade at Christmas - it’s a great experience for the whole family. Great South Road has colourful floats and marching bands, it’s really cool and we all enjoy it.

​

Penny:

​

The mall (Southmall) has a lot of history as it was built in the 60’s and was very popular back then. It’s cool to see how it’s developed and what retail business looks like today.

​

How important is staff culture?

​

Penny and Sandy:

​

Our team are happy, young, and they have conversations with customers. Fun, friendly staff, big energy; yes, culture is really important. It is key to great customer service.

We have team-building and staff events - it’s good for everyone to connect outside of work. Just the other week all our team went to play golf at Holey Moley. It was so much fun! Our staff are like family.

​

Any tips or advice for anyone looking to start their own business?

​

Penny and Sandy:

​

Building brands and a loyal customer base requires a lot of energy and patience. Stay focused and don’t give up. Put your effort and time in, create a culture. Happy customers and staff makes it all worth it.