With three buying days left until Christmas 2025, we are using the Hibiscus Coast App to nudge readers toward local businesses you can actually visit, call, and go back to if something is not right.

That includes the retailers in our Business Directory across Orewa, Silverdale and Whangaparaoa, the places many of us rely on for last-minute gifts, stocking fillers, and the “I forgot one” dash.

Retail NZ says retail card spending figures for November 2025 showed a 1.6% increase in total retail sales year on year, with Black Friday sales dominating the month, and chief executive Carolyn Young calls that positive news and “green shoots” as retailers head into their busiest time of year.

Retail NZ is also directly asking shoppers to “consider buying from retailers trading in New Zealand (whether online or in person) to ensure we support the New Zealand economy”, noting that buying local “means that the money stays in New Zealand, helps our economy and supports local businesses.”

There is a practical upside too.

Young points out that when you buy from retailers trading here, consumers “continue to be protected by local legislation such as the Consumer Guarantees Act, Fair Trading Act and Health and Safety Standards.”

That matters if you are comparing a local purchase with an offshore platform, because local rules and local accountability make it clearer what you can expect when something is faulty or not as described.

If you want an easy way to start, open the Hibiscus Coast App Business Directory, choose one local business you have not used before, and book, order, or pop in this week.

Know something local worth sharing?

Send it to [email protected] — we’ll help spread the word.