Chris' chic new chapter

Located at 1/119b Dowling Street, the new shopfront has given the fashion and homeware store a brand new look.

Owner of the business, Chris Ahearn, said that since the February 9 opening, the new location has attracted a lot of customers and a lot of sales.

Chic and Antique was originally located at 211 Dowling Street.

"It's going great. I've had a lot of people come in, bring me some lovely flowers and cards and I've had some good sales," she said. "Fingers crossed that it's a good move."

Ms Ahearn, formally from Newcastle, opened her business during Easter 2017. During her time in business she has seen Dungog's business landscape change a lot.

"When I came several years ago Dungog was probably on the verge of the worst it's been, there were more empty shops than full ones," she said.

"People saw what I was doing and thought 'if she can do it so can we'. I've noticed a few new businesses popping up but then COVID hit and we all went into lockdown but when lockdown was let go, the town went mental, trade went through the roof," she said.

"Between that and the bike track opening Dungog just went crazy. I don't think we'll ever see trade like that again."

Although the COVID pandemic was a difficult time for businesses, Ms Ahearn believes her business survived due to the fact that it's only her operating the business, keeping costs down.

Since then, Ms Ahearn said that the economic downturn has had an impact but that she has managed to stay largely unaffected.

"The economic downturn thing did affect me but I stayed afloat because it's just me," she said.

The highlight of Ms Ahearn's seven years of operating a business in Dungog was winning the Dungog and District Chamber of Commerce's Business Excellence Award in her first year of trade.

The Dungog community has also been a big highlight for Ms Ahearn.

"I've made so many great friends having a shop, I wish I had started doing it 20 years earlier," she said.