Timaru retailers prepare for cruise ships
It appears few Timaru retailers are making an additional effort to attract cruise ship passengers, with many saying today’s visit would be a day of ‘‘business as usual’’.
This follows Cruise New Zealand saying the cruise season will test Timaru’s viability as a destination, and urging the town to provide visitors with a good day out.
Many retailers visited on Wednesday suggested cruise visitors were not an automatic boon for business.
Stompz Shoes manager Karen Smith said she had not thought about doing anything special to attract passengers into her store.
‘‘Typically in the past it hasn’t made any difference. You see passengers walking up the street.
‘‘One time a lady from a cruise ship came in. She was allergic to the soap on the ship so I drove to the supermarket to get her some soap while she wandered around town,’’ she said.
However Smith said she might make more of an effort to do a window display, or put a sign up welcoming passengers.
Action Sports sales assistant Julie Webb said cruise ship passengers have not bought much in the past.
‘‘If they are after anything it is something New novelty,’’ she said.
‘‘They don’t buy. They eat, have coffee and look around but they don’t spend,’’ one chain store retailer said.
The first cruise ship, Europa 2, arrives at 7am today.
Two Stags coffee shop manager Ash Chamberlain said staff had considered adding schnitzel and frankfurters to the menu to make German visitors feel more at home.
‘‘I think it is cool fun to talk to people from around the world and if they are coming through my door, what better way to do that?’’
The Accessory Shop manager Wendy Smith said she would put a Zealandy - sign in her window welcoming visitors.
‘‘It is good to have interesting people in Timaru. I don’t know if they come into town. You can only hope it will be a friendly little town and I hope they spend money,’’ she said.
A one-page leaflet delivered to retailers by Aoraki Development and also branded by PrimePort includes details of the season’s visiting ships.
On January 23 the Maasdam will bring North American over60-year-olds, described as ‘‘sophisticated, well-educated, well-heeled and traditional’’, to town.
Seabourne Encore visits February 12. on
Aoraki Development operations manager Di Hay said the information was well-received by Stafford St retailers.
She said about half the passengers would be heading away on bus trips ‘‘to the Mackenzie, Mt Cook and Moeraki Boulders’’ but crew were ‘‘as viable as anybody as potential customers’’.
Shuttle buses will run every 15 minutes between the ship and the Timaru Information Centre.
‘‘If you see people in town that don’t look sure of where they are going, just talk to them and say hello and give directions,’’ Hay said.
‘‘It is about getting a nice feeling about the place.’’