Kaupapa Māori gift boxes sporting Māori designs and reo Māori have attracted the interest of overseas buyers just a week after their launch.
Aroha Avenue offers six signature “hero” boxes: Ngā Mihi (Thank You), Meinga, Meinga!! (Celebration), Nau Mai Ki Tō Whare (Welcome to Your Home), Ka Aroha (Love), Ka Aroha Nui (Condolences), and its Christmas box, Te Wā o Rehua (The Summer Star). Prices will range from $130 to $200 depending on the size.
The woman behind the business, Bridgette Tapsell (Te Arawa, Tainui, Mataatua) said after launching the boxes she had already seen whānau emotional when receiving them.
“We’ve been able to take our gift boxes and test them and get feedback from whānau and we have people cry when they look at the boxes because they they resonate with the themes to the design and they resonate to the contents.”
She said the company aims to fill a gap in the gifting market by curating kaupapa Māori gift boxes that acknowledge other pakihi Māori, while taking it a step further.
“We’re kind of changing it up in the gift box market in terms of this. Hopefully, this will be the norm. Hopefully, everyone will start to use a lot more reo on their gift boxes and make it more occasional so that it’s easier for us to give beautiful gifts that are from Māori businesses. So this is great for the Māori economy.”
The gift boxes include books by Māori authors or New Zealand authors who write on subjects relevant to Māori issues and interests.
Each box is blessed with a traditional Māori prayer before delivery, adding “spiritual significance, reinforcing the connection between the gift and Māori values of protection, gratitude, and well-being.”
“We are already working on more boxes, with relevant themes and uncommon, yet desired products,” Tapsell said.
