Forget me Knot to close before Christmas

Susan Turner is sad to be closing the doors of her opportunity shop in Paeroa, but recovering from the effects of Covid-19 and a fire that devastated her first store hasn’t been easy.
The last day of trade for Forget Me Knot’s New Beginnings will be on December 20.
“We were staying open, hoping we would bounce back, but it hasn’t eventuated and now I have to admit that I have to let it go,” she said.
Back in February, Susan’s op shop along Paeroa’s main street caught ablaze, caused by an electrical fault.
There were no injuries, but the store was gutted and neighbouring businesses Mikkelsen Gallery, Paeroa Roast and Bakery, Midway Burger Bar, Old Mate’s Pizza, and Paeroa News Agents were also affected. All have since reopened except Midway Burger Bar.
Susan remained positive, and within a month, her new shop – Forget Me Knot’s New Beginnings – opened at a premises down the road.
But in November, Susan announced that the shop had struggled to bounce back financially after the fire, and she had exhausted all outlets to keep the doors open.
It was time for a new chapter, she said.
“I’ve had a lot of people pouring in who are not very happy, and saddened that it is what it is. I have put a lot into it and there’s been a lot of effort, sweat, blood, and tears – and coming back after the fire drove me even more, I wanted to bring it back from the ashes,” she said.
“But I need to change paths and head in a different direction.”
Susan will be moving back home to Bland Bay, north of Whangārei.
She’s also looking forward to having a Christmas holiday away from work for the first time in years.
“For the last four years it’s been Christmas, then Boxing Day, and then I’ve been back at the shop, so I’m looking forward to having some quality time with my family and my mum.”
Susan told The Profile she’s hoping to sell around $9000 worth of items in the store so that she is able to pay final bills and “walk away with a clean slate”.
“In the last two weeks, I’m going to have a $1 sale on everything, just to clear as much as we can. I’ve also reached out to local charities offering them to take a big chunk of whatever’s left.”