Meet the visionaries behind Christchurch’s coolest store.
From their humble beginnings in 2008, Sarah and Jono have built Infinite Definite into a thriving, design-driven multi-brand store that showcases a unique blend of local and international talent. As business partners and a husband-and-wife team, they’ve weathered challenges like the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes, evolving their brand into a space that reflects their passion for creativity, design, and community.
In this interview, they share the journey of growing Infinite Definite, their approach to curating an eclectic mix of products, and the secret to staying resilient as an independent business in today’s tough retail landscape.
Hey Sarah & Jono! How’s Business?
Business is going really well! Despite the challenges, we’re lucky to have such strong community support. We’re excited about all the new designers and products coming in, especially as we head into the holiday season. There’s always something fresh in store, and we’re feeling positive about the direction we’re heading in!
Infinite Definite has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 2008. Can you walk us through the early days of the brand and how you transitioned from a creative outlet to a full-fledged multi-brand store?
We started Infinite Definite as a creative space where we could showcase our own brand which we produced under the same name while also experimenting with other design projects and playfully finding our own way to curate a mix of different design focused brands and products together in one space.
A couple of years later the Canterbury earthquakes forced the closure of the central city. After six months we were able to reopen as part of the Re:Start Container Mall.
At this point we realised what excited us most about having our own store was bringing different types and styles of products and designers together into one place and styling/representing them through our own lens.
Acknowledging this we then made the decision to double down and put our full focus into building Infinite Definite into what we thought a design focused multi-brand store could look like. We wanted to make a store that was not only about the designers and products we stocked but also how we presented and put them all together.
The Christchurch earthquakes in 2011 were a pivotal moment for many local businesses. How did the earthquakes impact Infinite Definite, and what was it like reopening in the Re:START Container Mall just six months later?
The Christchurch earthquakes had a huge impact on our city and us as a central city business. In a single moment we lost our store along with everything in it. On the day of the earthquake we were incredibly fortunate to make it out of our store unhurt, but the building was severely damaged and we were never able to return or retrieve anything from our store.
It was devastating to lose everything we had worked on, as well as losing the space we had literally built from scratch. At the time with the central city completely red zoned it was hard to see how we would be able to reopen.
The Re:Start Container Mall came into the mix as a solution about 5 months later and the opportunity to be one of the first businesses to reopen in the central city was both daunting and exciting but we decided to go for it. The idea of opening our store in 4 40 foot containers also appealed as a design challenge.
Re:Start was a success and the local Christchurch community were super excited to reengage with their city. We were blown away by all the support from our existing community as well as all the new people we started to meet who wanted to support local businesses and the rebuilding of the central city.
Infinite Definite is known for curating an eclectic mix of designers from New Zealand and around the world. How do you go about selecting the brands and products that make it into the store?
For us it’s always been about what excites us from a design point of view, thinking of how we would use or style an item and who we think might like it and also be excited by it. I guess also thinking about design as a whole whether it’s fashion, furniture, architecture, art or graphic design and how it all intersects together as one is a big part of our approach.
@infinitedefinite_ Cute fits, cute people💌 #ootd #outfitinspo #shoplocal #nz #christchurch #teamlooks #retaillife
Running a small independent business can be particularly challenging during tough economic times. How have you both managed to keep Infinite Definite thriving, and what strategies have you used to adapt and stay resilient during periods of uncertainty?
Yes running an independent business is challenging at the best of times and the economic climate recently has definitely been hard for everyone, us included. Adapting and pushing ourselves to do our best in everything we do and offer the best service we can has been essential.
We have always been fortunate to find like minded people who want to be part of our team and want to be part of making Infinite Definite what it is.
Also connecting with the community we are part of and building long term relationships has been huge, there are people and families we have had the pleasure of meeting and helping out in our store for 16 years now and everyday we get the chance to meet new people who are interested in our store and the designers and makers we work with.
As an independent retailer, how do you differentiate Infinite Definite from larger, more mainstream stores? What do you think is the biggest advantage of being an independent business in today’s retail landscape?
We work in the store with our team everyday, so together we can meet our customers, build relationships with them and see what they engage with while getting them excited about what we stock. We are also more likely to bring something unknown into the mix, perhaps giving an up and coming designer an opportunity in our store or finding a brand or product that isn’t already widely available.
What’s next for Infinite Definite? Are there any exciting plans or new directions on the horizon that you can share with us?
We always have new things on the go, especially coming into Christmas. We have loads of new pieces arriving daily at the moment including some really exciting new designers we are working with so the store is packed full of goodness right now.
Check out Infinite Definite online HERE and at 246 High Street, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch