15 years in her shoes
Founder of Head Over Heels Christchurch, Greta Washington, has just celebrated 15 years in business. She shares with Avenues what the last 15 years have held and some words of wisdom.
The Head Over Heels story began in Timaru when Greta Washington’s mum, Mary, opened the first store.
Greta was studying at the time and designed the store and helped with buying, a part of it she enjoyed so much, it encouraged her to follow in her mother’s footsteps.
“I absolutely loved the experience, and it inspired me to open a store in Christchurch.”
That was 15 years ago, but Greta’s passion for the business remains.
“I feel really proud to not only have been in business for 15 years but to have grown Head Over Heels to what it is today. I’m grateful to have a business that I love and have so much passion for. The connections with customers and staff are a really big part of this.”
Those 15 years are full of highs, but also challenges. Two years into business in the Christchurch CBD, Greta was forced to take her shoes and shut up shop, with the quakes that hit the city that year. Not one to let adversity kick business into touch, Head Over Heels reopened in the city’s RE:Start Container Mall, just one year following the February 2011 earthquakes.
When many others took their business elsewhere, to Greta, the decision to reopen was a simple one.
“I have always really loved Christchurch as a city. When we first opened our store here, the local community showed us incredible support, and we quickly gained a loyal following. Leaving Christchurch was never an option for us as we were passionate about being part of the city’s rebuild and returning to our loyal customers.”
Before they reopened after the earthquakes, many customers were driving two hours to shop in their Timaru store.
Setting up shop in a city still being demolished was no easy feat, but it was a challenge that Greta relished.
“Despite the challenges, I’m beyond grateful for the support we received and now to be an established store in a thriving retail area.”
“It’s been amazing seeing our city come alive again from where we were post-earthquake. We now get so much positive feedback from customers who are visiting Christchurch.”
The face of retail has changed significantly over the past one and a half decades, but Greta says they have rolled with the punches.
“The biggest change has been the rise of e-commerce and social media platforms. It’s such a big part of retail now, and we’ve naturally evolved with these changes.”
Greta mentions their continued success is owed to understanding their customers.
“Understanding your customers and what they love is really important. You also can’t overlook key things like fit, comfort, and quality. We want to continue and expand our collaborations with designers and evolve our in-house brands. We would also love to offer our product in more locations around the country.”
Though firmly established as her own businesswoman, she still calls on lessons learned from her mother and those first years in business.
“Growing up in a small town with a small community, I learned the importance of customer service. My mum always preached this to me, and it has always been an integral part of the business.”