The main street of Arrowtown is a drawcard for shopping, art galleries, cafés and restaurants and one store always catches the eye.  With its eclectic mix of curated items, Ogle has become a destination in its own right for exceptional and unusual homewares and gifts sourced from around world.

Owned and operated by Arrowtown locals Rosemary Duggan and her daughter Lisa the store recently celebrated its tenth anniversary.

“I’ve always enjoyed finding fun and interesting pieces and when we opened Ogle I wanted the shop to reflect a broad range that would be appealing for men, women and children,” says Rosemary.“ I like to purchase stock that has a timeless feel and is of good quality and we often have original items that have stood the test of time which prove to be popular pieces with our customers.”

Open seven days a week, Ogle has a relaxed and friendly vibe.

“Shopping at Ogle should be a fun experience and it gives me a lot of joy to hear customers laugh out loud if they see a card that has tickled their fancy or they are relaxed enough to enjoy our shop music. Having a bit of banter with our customers is often on the cards and it is great to see people smile and be happy.”

Over the years Ogle has attracted all sorts of visitors including several high-profile celebrities and politicians.

“Julia Gillard and John Key, who were both Prime Ministers at the time, called in on a walkabout in Arrowtown and it was lovely to see them mingle and chat with our customers. We also had musician Sam Smith in the store who is a down-to-earth nice guy,” says Rosemary.

As the business has developed so has the team behind Ogle.

Rosemary and Lisa share the responsibility of managing the store with assistant Kate Davies.

“We have had wonderful staff who have all contributed over the past ten years and it’s great having Kate,  as part of our current team along with Maddie McLean who has joined us again for summer. I am also so lucky to have the support of family who undertake odd jobs and I love working with Lisa who is instrumental in assisting with the smooth running of Ogle.”

Rosemary says Ogle is a go to gift store for all occasions and is a firm favourite particularly with Arrowtown people while those from out of town can always buy online.

“Online shopping is available at myogle.co.nz which makes it easy for people to continue to shop with us after they go home. We really value both the local support and that of visitors and particularly enjoy being part of the overall shopping experience in Arrowtown.”