Take Note Te Kuiti – it’s Colin Meads’ local bookstore

Te Kuiti is heartland Waikato/King Country. It is one of those former main trunk line towns in the area where the main street is one-sided; shops line up on the eastern side and opposite is the old railway station – definitely a place of Kiwi character.

Take Note Te Kuiti is in a prime spot in the middle of Rora Street shopping. It is 160 square metres of store, renovated with new fixtures and paint since owner Davina Davey bought the store with her husband Terry four years ago.

IMAGE: some of the Take Note team - from left to right, full time staff members Marie Masters and Emma Gill and owner Davina Davey.

This Take Note is strong on stationery – particularly commercial stationery for local offices – has a good magazine selection, and does well with cards and giftwrap. Books were a relatively small part of the turnover when Davina bought the store, but she’s nurtured the area and it is growing nicely – particularly non-fiction, the local preference. The store also has a toy selection and is a Lotto outlet. Outside, there’s the Kiwibank ATM.

IMAGE: Another happy customer browses through the book selection.

Buying a bookshop was a change of career for Davina, a beauty therapist. The store was somewhat run down, and successfully building the business has been a challenge, but an enjoyable one. “No day is ever the same, and there’s always new release books coming in.”

If you were passing through Te Kuiti, you’d bet the local bookshop had The A-Z of Meads in stock. They do, and what’s more every copy is signed by the man himself.

Take Note sold 100 the day they had a rugby legend in store – though his only concern was when he could get away for a beer at the club! Now when stock arrives, the copies are whisked up the hill for signing before being shelved. Other famous locals are champion shearer David Fagan and former PM Jim Bolger.

IMAGE (right) Colin Meads, 2008 from ODT picture files.

Davina was impressed with the boost to book sales NZ Book Month gave the store. “It was a very successful promotion. We moved a lot more books than usual and sales were definitely up in that area.”

Recent bestsellers for Take Note Te Kuiti have been the latest Annabel Langbein, Jean M Auel’s The Land of Painted Caves (Davina reckons the impact of this was underestimated) and Colin Radford’s self-published The Boy from Mokau River. For kids, the Geronimo Stilton books and Beast Quest series.

IMAGE: Caleb the owner's son is a willing book model for Take Note Te Kuiti and resident children's book expert.

Take Note Te Kuiti has a resident children’s book expert, Davina and Terry’s almost 10 year old Caleb. He knows his way round the Nielsen Bookfind and has lined up several ISBN’s for his Mum to purchase. Fortunately this bookworm is also on the store payroll with rubbish collection and tidying duties!

Davina finds PaperPlus conferences really informative, and is very happy with the book expertise of the group’s Joan Mackenzie. “She definitely knows what is going to move!”

There is competition in town: The Warehouse. Davina has to be careful selecting toys and other merchandise for a product offer distinctive from that of the Red Shed.

With book sales volume lagging behind that of stationery and magazines, Davina sees scope for growth.

One bright spot: the store is shortly to start supplying the Te Kuiti Library – the only full library in the Waitomo District Council area.

IMAGE: Adults and children alike can find something to suit at Take Note Te Kuiti.

The store does six day a week trading, 8.30am – 5pm each day except for Big Wednesdays when they open til 6.30pm and Saturday until 7pm. The shop keeps the team of two full time and four part time staff extremely busy.

The most bustling day of the week for Te Kuiti is Friday, when farmers come to town to stock up prior to the weekend.

Right now, Davina has achieved the growth in business she planned when she bought the store. She also thinks there is sufficient demand to expand further, but the current store has literally no space for more merchandise.

“We would need bigger premises,” says Davina, “But it is something we are considering for the future.” A future which looks secure for Take Note Te Kuiti.