YOUR LOCAL SPOTLIGHT
In this feature we speak to two local businesses, ‘We Love
Local’ and ‘Support NZ Local’ who aim to support home grown
companies such as Tommy’s Real Estate. We Love Local is in
partnership with Tommy’s, We Love Local source local Wellington
products for the hampers we gift to our beloved clients.
We Love Local is a brand that truly lives by its name. In fact the very
nature of the business embodies the values of local community.
Creating beautiful gift boxes that showcase the very best and most
creative products, made by local artisan producers unique to the
region, is at the heart of what We Love Local does. And the rapid
increase of interest in their offerings shows many other people love
to support local too.
The business started out as two separate entities - Kapiti Goodies
and Wellington brand We Love Local. Both were passionate about
supporting and promoting their neighbouring local regions right
from the outset, so when We Love Local became available, it only
made sense for Kapiti Goodies owners Timo and Valerie Reitnauer to
take it over and amalgamate the two. Now, the umbrella of We Love
Local covers the whole Wellington region, allowing more people to
experience the quality and range of products made locally.
Timo says the couple love sharing the imagination and creativity that
is flourishing in our local communities. They started Kapiti Goodies
as an idea prompted by the purchase of an electric car.
“We thought it would be great to use an EV for deliveries of products
from local markets, to promote buying locally and environmental
sustainability at the same time,” he says.
“The Kapiti Goodies online store launched a few weeks before
Christmas of 2018 and we immediately had orders coming through
after promoting the site on social media, which showed how much
people value the idea of buying locally.”
“Local items also travel much smaller distances, using fewer
resources, reducing carbon emissions and leading to cleaner,
healthier environments,” he said.
Timo says the wealth of talent amongst producers in both the Kapiti
and Wellington regions is phenomenal. “There are so many people
with the imagination and skill to create products that are unique,
innovative and of such high quality. We love that we get to share
them and introduce people to them in our gift boxes,” he said.
The boxes themselves are also part of the Reitnauer’s commitment to
local sustainability. All are made here in New Zealand and have been
made by The Shed Project - a Paraparaumu initiative to support and
help improve the lives of differently-abled people.
And now, with New Zealand still in recovery from the COVID-19
pandemic, local products are more important than ever.