Ryde Clothing owner Nathan Woodrow launches ‘Support Ya Local’ campaign to help businesses through coronavirus pandemic
A young Renmark clothing label owner is encouraging people to get behind their local businesses during the COVID-19 crisis by creating a unique campaign.
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Many businesses are doing it tough through the coronavirus crisis and a young Riverland clothing label owner is encouraging people to “Support Ya Local”.
Nathan Woodrow, 20, of Renmark, has a lifelong passion for skating, wakeboarding, bike riding and surfing.
Unfortunately, at age 15 a knee injury stopped him taking part in sport for 18 months.
With plenty of time on his hands, and wanting to share his passion for the outdoors, he started the Ryde clothing label – which celebrates the outdoors and the Riverland – at the age of only 16 with handprinted T-shirts.
“I was really bored, especially because sport was all I ever wanted to do,” he said.
“Looking around on social media, at what other people were doing, I came across people hand-printing their own shirts.
“Then I found a way I could print T-shirts myself.”
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Those T-shirts expanded into a clothing range including beanies and hoodies.
For the first three years, all the label’s sales were solely online, with his clothing going across Australia.
But only six months ago, Mr Woodrow opened his first shop in Renmark.
He was in the process of moving into new and bigger premises along the Renmark riverfront when the coronavirus crisis kicked in.
“The first store I opened six months ago went really well,” he said.
But I’m not going to open the new store until things calm down with coronavirus.”
Mr Woodrow said the ‘Support Ya Local’ T-shirts were a way to remind young people about the importance of supporting local businesses in time of economic crisis and recognised the support he had personally received in his venture.
“As the Ryde brand has grown, I’ve realised how powerful local support is,” he said.
“It’s times like this we all need to come together and support each other.”
Mr Woodrow has worked with a business mentor from Regional Development Australia Murraylands and Riverland – regional development manager of capability Bruce Mellett – for years to grow his business.
He also worked with Mr Mellett on the ‘Support Ya Local’ launch.
Mr Mellett said it was good to see young people like Mr Woodrow looking at new ways of doing business through the COVID-19 crisis.
“It’s going to be tough for a while and businesses have to adjust to whatever this new world is going to bring us,” Mr Mellett said.
“I think it’s great to see (people like Mr Woodrow) thinking of the opportunities rather than the negatives.”