03/04/2022
After 66 years of trading in Levin, the time has come to permanently close the “iconic” doors of Levin Sportsworld.
It is with a heavy heart that I do so.
Through time each new owner has brought something different to the store, be it new products or ideas of sale.
Graeme and Janet Palmer, Ken Gurney, Richard Loader and myself have each contributed to the history of our store.
Gerald De Castro started work in the store as soon as he left school, and retired when Covid first entered all of our lives.
Gerald “was Sportsworld”, with all of his knowledge and expertise. He encompassed everything we all, as staff members of the store, aspired to be in our service to our customers.
Gerald and I were close friends as well as workmates, and the day he retired was a very emotional time for us all. I will never forget the caring support he gave me when I was “in training”. My life partner is a hunter and fisherman, and sport mad, so it helped with my learning new aspects and skills with Gerald.
Every day Gerald and I had a lot of laughs and in-depth discussions together, to try and set the world right.
You have been so missed here every day since you retired Gerald, and you have given us all a lot of precious memories.
Every member of our team has celebrated many milestones and proud moments relating to the Levin community, and our customers. We have laughed with customers when they have had something funny or exciting happen and actually cried with, and for them when tough moments have entered their lives. We each have also felt a great loss when a “friend of our store” has passed. That is who we are, and how much our town and our customers have always meant to us.
However, and yes there is a however, all of us through the years, in our store, at some stage have been subjected to disrespectful, threatening, sexist and abusive behaviour from people who have entered our premises.
All of the staff who have worked for each consecutive owner, have represented our store with kindness, empathy, professionalism and pride.
We have never deserved to be treated so badly, simply because we didn’t have available what they required, or because we were a female working in a sports store so what did we know about fishing or rugby!
And for all of those who have doubted my knowledge and abilities through the 20 years I have worked in, managed and then owned the business, I actually do know what I am doing relating to the day to day running of the store, and what you have to do in the Sports Retail Industry to be able to provide stock for customers.
Having to put up with your attitude has been hurtful and unbearable at times, because I was not “allowed” right of reply and had to “tolerate you”.
The times we now find ourselves in are difficult, and have been totally unexpected. All of our local retailers have been “doing it tough”, and I truly feel for every fellow retailer, both owners and their staff members. It has been an honour and a privilege to have met, and been served by the wonderful staff of the stores in Levin.
Retail staff deserve medals for the respectful tolerance of the disrespectful people that we all deal with on a daily basis, especially since Covid entered our lives. They are there to help you, not obey you.
Retail staff are human, and have things going on in their lives as well as everyone else, and we do our best to provide a smile for you when we are suffering ourselves.
I would personally like to thank all of our stores’ loyal, kind and understanding customers, and I wish you all brighter days. I will miss the comradery and caring nature of your visits to us.
I also wish every member of our wonderful community better times.
Please shop local and save the wonderful businesses you still have.
Sue Wilks / Owner
Levin Leisure & Sportsworld Ltd
