FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Frequenly asked questions and everything else in between. If we have not covered your question here, please do reach out - Email celebrateaotearoa@gmail.com

What are your shop hours?

Our store hours have been Tuesday to Friday 10am-4pm and Saturday 10am-2pm, closed Sunday Monday and public holidays.

From Tuesday the 5th of November we will be operating Tuesday to Friday 10am-7pm, Saturday 10am-3pm. For now closed Sunday and Monday but will look at introducing more hours/days as time goes on and staff permitting.

Is everything 'Made In New Zealand'?

We're proud that around 80% of the items we carry are 'Made In New Zealand'. However, not all our stock is locally made - and we believe in transparency about the origins of our products.

Some of our items may be from businesses that are owned and designed in New Zealand but manufactured overseas. This distinction can often be reflected in the product's price. For example, a tea towel made overseas might retail for $15, while a locally hand-printed version might be priced at $25. We share this information to help you make informed purchasing decisions.

Additionally, we occasionally feature works from creative makers who, though not currently based in New Zealand, have strong ties here - whether they were born here or have family roots in the country. This helps us keep our offerings diverse and connected to our Kiwi heritage.

Select items from creatives abroad are marked on our website as *International

Where do you get your products from?

Every product at Celebrate Aotearoa is handpicked by our store founger/owner, Czarina Wilson. Czarina's unique blend of creativity, retail expertise, and management skills has allowed her to cultivate strong relationships with both established businesses and burgeoning creative enterprises across New Zealand. She also leverages the power of social media to discover small creative businesses, ensuring a diverse and continuously updated range of products in our store.

As a result, Celebrate Aotearoa stands as a true testament to Czarina's passion for and dedication to uplifting New Zealand's diverse creative community.

Do you offer discounts or sales on your items?

At Celebrate Aotearoa, we strive to ensure the value of the carefully curated items we offer. Generally, we do not offer discounts, match prices, or negotiate on our stated prices. We price our items fairly, reflecting the care and effort put in by our artists and makers, and maintaining a reasonable margin for our operations.

While we understand that everyone is navigating a challenging financial landscape currently, we believe in the inherent worth of our products and the dedication of our local artists. A significant portion of your purchase goes directly to supporting these artists, with only a small fee retained to cover administrative and transaction costs.

We kindly ask our customers to respect the value and craftsmanship of our products, especially those like greenstone pieces or works from smaller local artists. Repeated requests for discounts on such items can be disheartening to our creative community, and we appreciate your understanding in this matter.

Celebrate Aotearoa is committed to offering quality and unique items that tell a story, and we believe that the prices of these items reflect that value.

Do you pricematch?

We do not offer price matching as our small business does not have the large buying power of more established retail or big box stores, which restricts us from receiving substantial discounts. We truly appreciate your choice to support our business, and we aim to provide exceptional value through personalized service and unique offerings

What are your Payment Solutions?

IN STORE we accept Cash Eftpos Debit / Credit Card/ Apple Pay and Afterpay. We do not have a paywave surcharge.

ONLINE we accept most Card solutions, Paypal, Afterpay.

Do you offer gift vouchers or online gift cards?

At Celebrate Aotearoa, we offer both physical gift vouchers and online gift cards, making it easy to give the perfect gift to someone special. Our gift vouchers are available in-store and can be used for any purchase at our physical location. For online shoppers, our digital gift cards can be purchased through our website and are redeemable for any online orders.

How to Purchase/ Terms and Conditions:

Physical Gift Vouchers: Available in store only. If you wish to pay online for a physical hard copy voucher (can still be used online or instore) you need to contact the store first. No exceptions.
Online E-Gift Voucher: Please note if you are purchasing online, this is sent directly to the person you have selected with email address. Via email. This is NOT a hard copy voucher and we are unable to process one if you select online E on our website. The E-Gift details will be emailed to you or the recipient immediately, complete with instructions on how to use it online.

Expiry: Both physical gift vouchers and online gift cards are valid for six months from the date of purchase.
Lost Vouchers: If a physical voucher is lost, it can be replaced upon providing proof of purchase and valid ID. This process helps ensure that your gift remains secure and is redeemed by the rightful owner. If you send to the wrong email address this will be out of our control. And will take some time to correct.
Non-Transferable: Vouchers and gift cards are non-transferable and must be used by the original recipient unless explicitly stated otherwise at the time of purchase.
Non-Refundable: Vouchers and gift cards cannot be refunded or exchanged for cash, except as required by law.
Usage: Gift vouchers and cards can be used towards the purchase of any products offered by Celebrate Aotearoa, subject to availability.

Can I pay online and pickup instore?

Sure can. Purchases made online can be collected in store at Celebrate Aotearoa 3/260 Apirana Ave Glen Innes. Please be mindful when placing online purchases as these may take 1-2 days to process.

We do not process click and collect on the day you have placed the order, especially if you have multiple items. Please get in touch first.

What is your Return policy?

We kindly ask for your careful consideration when selecting items, whether for gifts or personal use. As a small, community-focused business, we're unable to provide refunds for reasons such as changes of heart, item expectations not met, or discrepancies in 'fit' or color.

This also applies if someone else has gifted you the same item or if you've found the product at a different price elsewhere.

However, we're more than happy to assist you with exchanges within 14 days of purchase. The item must be in its original condition and packaging, accompanied by proof of purchase.

Please note that due to hygiene reasons, earrings are exempt from our exchange policy.

Your understanding and support are greatly appreciated as we strive to provide you with unique, quality goods.

Exchanges during the christmas season November/ December will be extended till the end of January of the new year.

Proof of purchase must be presented and item in original store bought quality at all times.

What if something is faulty?

If an item is faulty we can repair the item, or exchange it to the value of purchase. If you do not prefer a replacement and no other alternatives can be met we can offer a credit note or full refund. *Items must be returned within 30 days of purchase.

*Faulty: Is something that has a manufactural fault only. ALL our items are checked before placing on the shop floor. And when we process at the checkout. Ceramic and glass work is checked and signed before it leaves the store.

We do not have any obligation to replace or refund due to wear and tear or customer misuse i.e sleeping with earrings or jewellery on, or dropping items on the floor etc

What are your Shipping and Handling Charges?

We send via NZ Post Courier service. Our set charges are $10.50 North Island and $15.00 South Island. If mulitple items are purchased this may inurr extra costs, please do not be offended if we reach out once a purchase is made. If the charge is minimal we will take this cost on, but anything higher and we may reach out.

How long do orders take to deliver within New Zealand.

All items are sent with a tracking number. Quoted timeframes via NZ Post vary from 3-5 business working days, and up to 2 weeks at the most.

Please keep an eye on your tracking. If you have not received your order within 5 business working days please contact Celebrate Aotearoa immediately.

If you require an item sent on the day within Auckland, we can partner up with Uber Connect. This will be at your cost, and cost quoted on the day.

Do you send to Australia or Internationally?

We are unable to offer this service at this time. However am looking into Australia. If we do send, we will only send via Tracked Courier, this cost is quite high so let us know if you are okay with this and we will get a quote. You will need to provide a list of products you are interested in first and your delivery address so we can give an accurate as possbile quote. From past deliveries this can take 2-4 weeks. We are swift in processing our end but timeframes once parcels are en route are out of our control.

Privacy/ Surveilance. Can I take photos or videos of items to send to friends or family?

At Celebrate Aotearoa, we prioritize the safety and security of our premises and products. Therefore, we maintain 24-hour surveillance throughout the store. We understand that our visitors may sometimes want to capture images or video of potential gift ideas to share with loved ones. We're more than happy to accommodate such requests. However, please note that extensive photography or video recording is not permitted in our store, and we'll kindly ask you to cease such activity. Your understanding and cooperation are greatly appreciated.

Do you offer free gift wrapping.

From the 1st of November we will be re-introducing our Gift Wrapping service, however this will not be available instore. Gift wrapping will only be processed for online purchases. For click and collect orders these will take 48 hours to process. Due to the estimated volume items will take this long to process so please do not order if you expect your items to be gift wrapped on the spot. No gift wrapping is held instore, all items are wrapped off site. Please note this will be a paid service.

Interested in Partnering with Celebrate Aotearoa?

* Due to budget restraints and time of year we are no longer taking on new creatives - We will however, be sending out expressions of interest for our Pop up markets est dates Sat 23 Nov, and Sat 7 Dec. Please see our blogs, or sign up to our email newsletter for updates.

If you're considering stocking or collaborating with Celebrate Aotearoa, please ensure you have the following prepared before reaching out:

Your Business Profile: Include an introduction about your brand and your team. If your business offers art that is Māori, Pacific, or culturally influenced, it's essential to clearly and transparently state whether you are from the culture you represent in your products. This transparency is crucial for us and our customers.
Your Policies: This should include your wholesale and returns policies.
Product Catalogue: Provide a detailed catalogue of your work, quantities available. Or if made to order the 'turnaround' time. Include your wholesale pricing. Not your 'retail' your wholesale. Does your item come packaged, do you provide packaging, do you provide aids or no.

Additional Considerations for Competitive Markets: For businesses in competitive markets such as Candles, Self/Health care or Kawakawa Rongoā, please note that we require physical evaluation of new products before considering them for our store. Ensure your products include essential information such as shelf life, labelling, usage, and ingredients. This information must accompany each product to meet our customer information standards.

Clothing and Fabric Products: For clothing and fabric items, adherence to the Consumers Institute requirements regarding fabric content and care is mandatory. We will only consider your products if they include comprehensive legal tags with this information. Failure to provide these details will result in us not accepting your products. We will not take on products if you have not tested the wash and care. In particular prints/teeshirt prints and tea towel prints.

Submission Guidelines:

Include a price list with your inquiry.
If possible, send product samples for evaluation.
Be transparent about your production process, especially if you are not the maker.

Product Standards: We do not accept products that are outdated or intended for clearance sales. Transparency is key, as we aim to avoid time-wasters and ensure every collaboration is fruitful.

Please Note: The amount of information you provide will affect how quickly we can respond to your inquiry. Keep in mind that the three months leading up to Christmas are our busiest period, and we may not be able to respond as promptly since our Christmas planning will already be in place. Don’t be discouraged—feel free to reach out again or follow up. We receive a high volume of inquiries, but we value each one.

We look forward to exploring potential collaborations that align with our values and standards.

*We DO NOT accept walk ins. If you would like to make an appointment, contact Czarina via email - celebrateaotearoa@gmail.com

For events and pop up market information please see our Blog. Thank you for your continuous support of our local creative community.

At Celebrate Aotearoa, we have had the privilege of hosting numerous local makers and creatives at our Pop-Up market events, attracting hundreds of visitors to our retail space. We are truly grateful for the opportunity to provide both familiar faces and newcomers with a real-world sales experience in a retail environment. This would not have been possible without the support and creativity of our community. Thank you for making each event a success. And of course those who have supported us on this journey.

335396579_891759342059640_4569775857704952845_n_edited.png

Have a question about a product or other? Get in touch with us via the website at celebrateaotearoa.co.nz and we will get back to you as soon as we can.