Save V1 Vegan Store - Wellington's Only 100% Vegan Grocery Store

For almost 6 years, V1 Vegan Store at 207 Cuba Street has strived to create a safe and welcoming environment for all vegans and those wanting to dabble in the plant-based/animal-friendly lifestyle. Started by the wonderful Russell and Manda, and continued today by Kit and Sarah, V1 has been a pillar of the vegan community in Wellington.

We come to the community now asking for help.

Times have been very challenging for us. Covid-19 has caused massive worldwide shipping delays, rising costs, and dramatically reduced foot traffic in the CBD. We have dealt with extreme weather events, staff illness, surprise flooding, and little rent relief. All of this with the added challenge of running a business for the first time has meant that times have become quite tough for our little family. Debt has been rising as we strive to keep stock on the shelves and the business running. We are reaching a point where we might have to close our doors if our situation doesn’t improve soon.

Asking for help isn’t exactly a strong point for us. We know that times are tough for a lot of people out there, so we wanted to delay doing this for as long as possible, ideally avoiding it entirely. But unfortunately the time has now come and we really need the community's help.