As business owners look for every opportunity to raise their profile and make sales in this Covid-impacted world, a fast-growing Facebook group called New Zealand Made Products has delivered on both for hundreds, if not thousands of Kiwi enterprises, including several from Wanaka.

With more than 460,000 members as at 22 May, the non-for-profit group was created by event and project manager Sarah Colcord on 13 April to support New Zealand products, services and businesses after seeing something similar in Australia. The group’s popularity means up to 5,000 posts can be waiting for moderators’ approval to go live.

For Rob Cram, of Wanaka Knife Making, a post shared to New Zealand Made Products by his daughter Ashleigh has meant a considerable number of forward bookings and gift vouchers purchased for future use.

Rob offers small workshops to teach people how to make their own carbon steel knives. “We’re largely a tourist business with about 50 per cent New Zealanders and 15 per cent Australians, the rest from all over the world. People driving past might see our flag on the Albert Town Road, but that’s not happening now. From Level 4 we had nothing, no phone calls or anything.

“My daughter did all the work to get the post on the New Zealand Made Products group, then I spent the next day and a half responding to messages and texts from all over the country! The sheer volume was amazing with 1500 likes on the post and hundreds of comments. It turned into a lot of people buying gift vouchers and forward bookings even though they’re not intending to come until some time in the future.”

Under Level 2, Rob is back in business as workshop participants already wear face masks to protect them from dust and metal grindings.

“We’ve got bookings through to the end of June at this point so that’s positive and more people are talking about coming down for the school holidays. Until we get through July, we won’t really see the longer term impact of Covid.

So much domestic tourism depends if people have had to use their annual leave and if they still have a job. Next question is when might we get Australians here again?”

Merino gifts from Lambino

Jenny Collyer, of Wanaka-based Lambino, offers New Zealand made merino gifts for baby showers, new-borns and nursing mothers which she styles into super attractive cupcakes and cake-like shapes.

Like others, Jenny has been blown away by the talent featured on New Zealand Made Products. “It’s wonderful to see! This group was great as it enabled me to say, ‘here I am, and this is what I do’. I posted when the New Zealand Made Products group was quite new, so I will have to repost as it has grown so much! It has been really humbling reading everyone’s lovely responses and having people starting to place orders again.”

Like Rob, Jenny’s post attracted hundreds of likes and comments from people all over the country saying they’d love to buy her merino products for their baby or grandchild.

“Normally after seeing my merino gifts at the Wanaka A&P Show, people get in touch, but with Level 4 kicking soon after the show, that didn’t happen this year. I temporarily closed my website as I wasn't sure when I would be able to open again. I put the business on hold and spent time with my family. I wanted to focus on what we could do together, not the things we could no longer do.”

From the commencement of Level 3, Jenny was able to start sending domestic orders.

“I know it is a hard time for people to spend money and I appreciate everyone who has supported me. I do hope that the momentum of supporting New Zealand and local businesses continues.”

Jenny notes that she recently made the tough decision to stop international shipping. “Although it means I am turning away much wanted business, I don't believe I should put extra pressure on already stretched countries who are fighting to keep people safe.”

This story was commissioned by The Wanaka App and written by Kate Gordon-Smith of Relish Communications.