Taihape Hammer Hardware, Sports & Furniture is a "one stop" general retail store located on the Main Street of Taihape, midway between Palmerston North (117 km) and Taupo (142 km). This business caters for the needs of residents from Taihape and nearby townships and to a wide-spread farming community.

After 25 busy and successful years, Eric and Merle Flavell have put their business and the titles to both parcels of commercial property onto the market. This business sale offers three exciting possibilities to the new owner:

1. Expand the present business into a Mitre 10 Home and Trade (Mitre 10 is part of the Hammer Hardware Group) and utilise all of the retail area in both shops for hardware, machinery, stock and station and the rear yards for timber and building products.
2. Continue the present Hammer Hardware business in one store and develop a Trade Base in the other with a builder, electrician, plumber and painter. There is enormous demand for tradespeople in this area and customers have to wait for up to two months for even a simple job to be done. A new owner with strong management and marketing skills could do very well as the Rangitikei District is a long-established farming area.
3. Utilise the benefits of this centralised location to set up a manufacturing or distribution business. This is the first time in 100 years that these combined properties have come onto the market. They offer enormous floor space, all-weather inward and outwards loading, and easy access by any of the 300 trucks that pass through Taihape each day. And the asking price is very reasonable, living costs are low and there is a large available workforce.

• Houseware, cutlery, crockery, pots, pans, plastic ware, brooms
• Hardware - paint, tinting, hand tools for every contingency, glues
• Electrical - heaters, kitchen appliances, power tools
• Furniture -storage cupboards, shelving, mirrors, indoor and outdoor furniture
• Garden - lawn mowers, chainsaws, garden tools, pots and potting mix, fertiliser
• Camping - tents, camping and tramping equipment, barbecues, gas fittings
• Sports equipment - racquets, balls, fishing rods and tackle, sporting guns, ammunition
• Security - locksmith service, key cutting, padlocks

Hammer Hardware is a New Zealand cooperative business group that has been in operation for more than 25 years. There are over 85 stores throughout New Zealand and each store is locally owned and operated. Individual ownership is the essence of Hammer Hardware as the Franchisor believes that only the people who own and operate their own stores can offer customers the service that they expect.

The Franchisor offers computerised systems and procedures including support for accounts and invoices, group purchasing and fixed cost control, a New Zealand icon brand and image, advertising and promotional campaigns, a national support centre facility and a regional 0800 number for customer inquiries.

Once accepted by the Hammer Franchisor, the new owner of Taihape Hammer Hardware, sports & Furniture will be required to buy shares (5000) in the Group and there is a Franchise fee.

The business is selling 1818 square metres of commercial property in 2 titles with about 1100 square metres in buildings that front onto Taihape's main street (State Highway One) and the balance being two rear yards used for vehicle parking. 

The buildings are variously constructed on concrete and wooden floors with mainly timber framing and concrete block walls and iron roofs. Interior walls are lined with painted hardboard and plasterboard. 

Some floors are carpeted, some are polished wood, some are painted concrete.

The buildings are well appointed and have been well maintained. There is an extensive glass frontage, large retail area, mezzanine floor (unused), offices (3), lunch room, toilet (2 x 2), warehousing, overhead loading gantry, covered vehicle storage, and large roller doors (2) for easy entry of large vehicles. 

There is a lockup enclosed rear yard with gravel surface and a chain link security fence and a second yard with concrete and asphalt surface for large vehicle parking.

• Benches, customer counters, merchandisers, shelving, wall display shelving
• Floor coverings, light fixtures, wall decorations, security alarm, safe
• Phone and fax (6 channel), cash register, Eftpos terminal
• Paint tinting colour mixer, racquet stringing equipment
• Key cutting machine and related equipment
• Oil-fired heating system, tea room facilities