The Shopkeepers of the Kāpiti Coast

Flowers and coffee might not be the most obvious pairing, but at Love Stomp it makes perfect sense. Rowan Cotterill brings her years of floristry experience from the UK to her colourful Paraparaumu Beach shop, having worked on high-end weddings, luxury events, and even floral arrangements for Downton Abbey.

The result is a flower shop with serious pedigree – and seriously good coffee to match. Bouquets range from small and thoughtful to wonderfully extravagant, while candles, pottery, and vases make it easy to find a little something extra. Dark Horse coffee and good tunes add to the appeal. Even the shop’s name has a personal story, as it’s inspired by a dance that Rowan’s family used to bust out to Boney M’s Rivers of Babylon.

At NZ Native Oils, Maria Brocklebank and her partner Gary have turned a fascination with the healing qualities of native plants into something that feels part shop, part sanctuary. The space is deliberately calming, with timber fittings, abundant greenery, and a gently bubbling water feature setting the tone.

The couple draw on both traditional rongoā and European remedies, distilling their own mānuka and kānuka oils onsite and using them across an extensive range of skincare, essential oils, and aromatherapy products. There are also herbal teas, mushroom extracts, supplements, jewellery, and plenty of useful things for the home – and even a dog skincare range. The refill service is another thoughtful touch, reflecting the couple’s wider commitment to sustainability.

When Milk + Ginger owner Mel moved back from Brisbane, she saw an opportunity to bring a more modern, elevated shopping experience to the Kāpiti Coast. Her shop was created for locals who wanted access to the kind of fashion and lifestyle brands they might otherwise have to head into Wellington for.

The boutique brings together New Zealand and Australian labels including Assembly Label, Status Anxiety, Witchery, and Country Road, alongside footwear, accessories, children’s pieces, books, and gifts. Everything is thoughtfully curated, while Mel and her team offer genuine advice rather than a hard sell. It’s retail with a distinctly human touch – helping customers find things they’ll actually want to wear and use for years.

Bede and Trina Laracy are two of Kāpiti’s retail powerhouses, also behind local menswear shop Holy Smoke. At Paperdoll, their approach is simple: getting dressed should be fun. The Raumati boutique brings together colourful, characterful labels including Once Was, King Louie, Noa Noa, and Tuesday Label.

Jewellery, bags, shoes, and accessories round out the collection, creating the sort of shop where “I’m just having a look” can turn into an extended stay. Above all, Paperdoll is about beautiful clothes that feel good, are fun to wear, and don’t require taking yourself too seriously – a happy shopping experience, as the store puts it.

House of Puck is for people who like their interiors with a little history and their shopping with a sense of discovery. Run by Kelly Duckworth, the Raumati shop is an eccentric mix of refurbished furniture, vintage finds, and unusual objects, with each piece telling its own story.

Kelly deliberately created a calm backdrop for the eclectic collection, painting the walls, ceiling, and concrete floor in the same hue of white before hand-stencilling the floor. The shop’s name is inspired by Kelly’s favourite Shakespearean character, the mischievous fairy Puck from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. There’s even chalk outside the shop for passers-by to leave impromptu artworks – a fitting touch for a space where creativity and a little bit of magic are part of the experience.

Run by Racquel Thomson, Treacle Lane has long been part of Raumati’s independent shopping scene. The store places a strong emphasis on independent makers and beautifully considered little things, from New Zealand-designed pieces and special collaborations to hard-to-find gifts.

Its eclectic personality is perfectly suited to the village, where shopping is as much about the joy of discovery as it is about the purchase. It’s the kind of place to browse slowly, spot something unexpected, and leave with a gift – for that special someone or, more likely, yourself.

Cranfields has been curating beautiful things since 1991, with owner Nicola Cranfield continuing the family tradition started by her mother Valerie. Nicola’s approach is intensely personal: several times a year she travels in search of pieces with provenance, character, and craftsmanship, from Raglan to Morocco and Milan.

The collection spans furniture, homewares, and accessories, with many pieces sourced directly from makers – the Omersa leather animals from England are unmissable. Nicola’s guiding principle is simple: she looks for things “with soul”, preferably made by someone who takes genuine pride in the process. The result is a collection that feels considered rather than mass-produced, with plenty of stories behind the things on the shelves.

Led by Kit Slade, the team behind Paraparaumu’s colourful skate shop collectively boasts more than 70 years of skating experience. This gives them something incredibly unique and valuable: the global connections and knowledge to source everything from children’s beginner skates to highly specialised custom builds for internationally ranked athletes.

But the ambition goes well beyond selling wheels. The team is passionate about helping skating culture flourish in New Zealand, running lessons and programmes for everyone from schoolchildren to adults. Adding a further local touch, Kiwi artists feature throughout the space, including the mural outside and the logo designed by a skater.

Anna Gibbs’ journey with The Wilderness began in wonderfully scrappy fashion, running a florist from a caravan. Having trained under Fran Bailey at London’s Fresh Flower Company, the Paraparaumu local eventually established a bricks-and-mortar shop known for doing things a little differently.

Today, The Wilderness is a destination for seasonal flowers, distinctive arrangements, and indoor plants, alongside dried florals, terrariums, candles, and beautifully chosen gifts. Anna and her team work with fresh blooms as well as foraged roadside and backyard finds, bringing a wild, playful sensibility to their arrangements. It’s timeless, classic creativity and joy expressed through flowers.