Kambalda small business closes shop after eight years as customers stop spending

A Kambalda shop owner has made the difficult decision to close following a downturn in business and increase in production and postage costs.

Outback Bath and Body Co. owner Tina Taylor began making products for her son after he had skin issues because of the local water.

She said she realised she could turn the venture into a business in 2015 and the shop did “really well” until COVID hit.

Ms Taylor said locals were not spending, which had a significant effect on her business.

“Everything’s gotten more expensive, people are not spending, and bath and body products are not a necessity,” she said.

“People need to eat, people need pay rent; it’s a luxury item as it is.”

Ms Taylor said with the nearby Kambalda East Deli having closed for renovations, she had also lost all her foot traffic.

“Then, of course, the cost of ingredients and cost of packaging; everything has gone up for everybody,” she said.

Ms Taylor said despite being open for the past eight years, customers came in often said they did not know the shop existed.

“Kambalda is quite a small community, we would hope that they’re quite supportive of their small businesses that are out there and not just in Kalgoorlie,” she said.

Ms Taylor said despite the challenges, she tried to keep the shop open, even though she was ready to close last year.

“There was a point about this time last year and I think I was ready to shut it down and my partner was like, ‘no, because I know how much you love this, I don’t want you to quit on it yet, I will cover all the expenses for the next 12 months’,” she said. “And then it hasn’t improved in that last 12 months. It’s just gotten worse.

“I haven’t had an online sale for the last four weeks and for online sales to completely stop is just a sign of the times that everything has just gotten too hard for people to spend money now.”