Products From New Zealand Ltd - Unique and interesting products and gifts for you and your loved ones. A successful ecommerce website, with customers all around the world. Following is the transcript from an interview with Kristina Cope, General Manager, and founding Director of Products From New Zealand Ltd, in May 2002.

Interviewer: I notice that you only sell New Zealand made items?
Kristina Cope: I noticed that numerous shops sold a mix of New Zealand products that were in not in fact made in New Zealand, but made in China. Although I have absolutely nothing against Chinese made products, I do not like the deception that people can pass off items, under a brand name or such tactic, that has been mass produced under licence in China. That is Chinese made. If I wanted to sell Chinese made I would have a shop called Made in China.

Anyway, the other major reason is that we are typically a very proud and small nation and I want to 100% support it and its people. I have deliberately approached manufacturers that take great care at making the items they produce. Over 90% of all the items are handmade, often signed by the artist on the back of them. They are limited edition, and in fact, many of our products are simply not available from retailers or wholesalers in the USA or Europe at all. You could spend thousands of dollars on a journey deep into the remote rainforests of New Zealand - or - with a few clicks of the mouse button, an authentic bone or wood carving, crafted by tribal Maori carvers, for example, could be shipped directly to your doorstep anywhere on the planet.

Not only are most of our products unusual and rare but they are also very affordable.

Interviewer: What are some of the categories of items you are selling?
Kristina Cope: From Books, Cards and Posters, Childrens Stuff, Classics, Clothes, Contemporary Art, Cosmetics, Funky Design, Gift Certificates, Jewelry, Organic Food, Out and About, Silk, Tapestry & Knitting, Wooden Items, to, you name it!

Interviewer: I did not realise how many items you stock? How many in fact?
Kristina Cope: At my last count I had over 2000 items that I would deem as 100% unique to New Zealand - i.e. only available from New Zealand. I plan to have over 30,000+ high quality, unique and interesting items on display and available for immediate sale by the middle of 2003. If I look at all the suppliers on my books, and I only select the top products from each one, I expect to have in total around 40-50,000 items available on the site when complete.

Interviewer: I see for example, that you have an extensive range of wooden products, from Kauri clocks to picture frames to wine racks to nautical themes. Are these popular?
Kristina Cope: Very much so, People love the natural glow that the Kauri wood has, or the reddy brown colors in the Rimu wood. We limit the number of one product sold to one customer, to make sure we are not depleting New Zealand's resources, and ensuring that other customers can purchase them if they want. This is due to the fact that some are made in limited numbers per year, due to the wood being either dug out of swamps or is plantation wood. We are very conservation minded.

Interviewer: I notice that you have some stunning paua (abalone) shell jewellery for sale. I see that a lot of celebrities in Hollywood are now wearing paua based jewelry?
Kristina Cope: Yes, ever since 'Xena Warrior Princess' as played by Lucy Lawless - a New Zealand TV program became a worldwide hit, and then followed by Peter Jackson's version of 'The Lord of the Rings' movie took the world by storm in early 2002, many actors are wearing paua based jewelry at high profile media functions.
Recently at the 2002 Academy Awards evening the wife of one of the Movie Directors wore two pieces of sterling silver jewelry that we represent. Kowhaiwhai Cuff Bracelet and the Koru Siver Pendant
We are pleased to be able to offer these same products - straight from the source at awesome prices!

Interviewer: What if someone cannot make up their mind with what they want to purchase?
Kristina Cope: We have a wish list feature on the site where people can make up their own list of items they really love, slowly work their way through the list as they so desire (I think a number of our regular customers would love this feature, as I am sure they have a list at home that they are ticking off :-) They can also email it to friends and family pre-Christmas, wedding, birthdays etc for gift ideas, etc We also have a popular gift certificate section. People can purchase a certificate on behalf of another person, (if they desire), it will be instantly emailed to them, and they can use it up all at once, or over a number of different visits to our store.

Interviewer: You sell womens and mens clothes. How do people get the right size?
Kristina Cope: We have put a lot of effort into this. Obviously it is of no advantage to anyone if they have to return items to get the right size. We have talked to, and observed how all the large and successful mailorder clothing companies do it, and we have based our sizing charts etc on this experience.

When you come to an item of clothing on the site, we have an icon that you click on. This brings up a comprehensive sizing chart for people to match their own countries sizing system against ours, and they can also compare this against their own physical size. If they are purchasing shoes, then, they can in addition to above, draw an outline of their feet and either fax it, or post it to us to 100% match shoes to feet!

• 1. Absolute no testing on animals.
• 2. No use of mineral oil, petroleum, diazolidinyl urea, or artificial colours. i.e.. The ingredients they leave out of their products is as important as the ingredients they put in.
• 3. Only the best ingredients they can source, using top quality plant oils, essential oils, and the highest grade fragrances etc.

• 100% of the electricity needs is generated using solar electric modules (photovoltaics) on the roof.
• A separate solar hot water system gives piping hot water 365 days of the year. The rain water is collected from the roof, stored, and then used to flush toilets, wash dishes with etc.
• The construction of the building is made using plantation pine (wood), and wool is used to make insulation batts that are installed in the walls, ceiling and under the floor, to keep the office warm and snug in winter, and cool in summer.
• The office is orientated due North (same as due South in the Northern Hemisphere) to maximise solar gain in winter and shading is provided in the summer months by deciduous trees and vines.
• The warehouse has solar heated water piped through the floor to make it very pleasant underfoot in winter, in addition to the natural solar gain from the way the building is oriented towards the sun.
• The offices is located right outside the railway station for the area, along with bus stop around the corner. This encourages our staff to take public transport to work each day whenever possible.
• On a more IT related matters, we have a client server network, running the latest OS, with high speed internet access, firewalls, etc. Data is automatically backed up every day, and all staff must adhere to strict policies to ensure privacy of customers information (email address, date-of-birth etc) on a day to day interaction with customers.
  

• 100% clean and green (still) from an environmental point of view.
• Is used to being isolated from the rest of the world (before the Internet anyway!), and has learned to invent and make products, rather than just import from 'overseas'.
• Is very proud of its small country, the immense beauty and variety it offers with rich & fertile land, high sunshine hours, and a diverse culture.
• Believes strongly in "Invention, Innovation and Ingenuity - the Kiwi way". (Also integrity I must add).
• 73% of the country's electricity is generated using a renewable energy source - hydro (water), and the uptake of using solar electricity and other renewables is becoming evident.
• Totally believe in a "give it a go!" philosophy. This means that many Kiwis (New Zealand's National bird - also adopted as the name for "our people") still are involved with building and maintaining their own homes and mixing the weekends with a hobby or an active engagement in sport and family.