Amy from Addie & Lou joins us on Recorded at Red Nine to share the real story behind building a boutique retail business.

From growing up in Kaikōura and working as a radiographer, to opening a homewares store that now has locations in both Kaikōura and Christchurch, Amy’s journey is full of lessons, risks and a few hilarious mistakes along the way.

Including the time she accidentally ordered $17,000 worth of candles.

We talk about:

• Starting a retail business with no formal business experience

• The early mistakes every founder makes

• Why the Addie & Lou café was never part of the original plan

• The reality of running a retail store during tough economic times

• Learning about margins, stock and imports the hard way

• And the unexpected stories that come with running a business

Recorded at Red Nine is a podcast exploring the stories of the people building businesses across Canterbury and beyond.

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🎙 Hosted by Andy Rowe

📍 Recorded at Red Nine Studios – Christchurch

🌍 Businesses Building Canterbury

CHAPTERS

01:44 Why They Had a Wedding in Bali

03:24 What Is Addie & Lou?

04:48 Rebranding the Store in 4 Days

05:51 Starting a Business Just Before COVID

06:56 Growing Up Working on a Farm

08:05 Why She Started the Business

09:17 What Addie & Lou Actually Is

10:41 Opening the Christchurch Store

12:29 The Cafe That Was Never the Plan

14:09 Lessons from Running a Business

15:30 The $17,000 Candle Order

17:39 Learning Business the Hard Way

20:17 How Retail Buying Works

21:17 Are They in the Black or the Red?

22:15 The Catfish Dating Story

26:19 Meeting Her Partner Dan

27:22 Moving Into Wholesale

28:51 Where to Find Addie & Lou

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