Christchurch Real Groovy goes

VICKI ANDERSON

Last updated 05:00 05/04/2011

 

Christchurch music store Real Groovy will not reopen.

After the September 4 earthquake struck and a ruptured hot-water cylinder destroyed most of his stock, owner Paul Huggins was determined to start again.

He reopened Real Groovy in the former Penny Cycles store in October.

However, four months after the grand reopening, the building is set to be demolished.

Huggins said he "just can't do it all again".

"Real Groovy Christchurch is no more," said Huggins, whose Lyttelton home was also damaged in February's quake.

"The building is tagged for demolition and it's highly unlikely I'll get anything out of it.

"I may be able to retrieve a couple of items, but nowhere near enough.

"So I had to make the decision to call it a day," he said.

"I have had to make all my staff redundant.

"They were the hardest calls to make."

Huggins plans to move back to Wellington, leaving his rare records collection in the shop to be destroyed.

"I guess I'm just another one of the business casualties in Christchurch," Huggins said.

Real Groovy vouchers could be redeemed online at realgroovy.co.nz, Huggins said.