A Whakatāne family-run business is back on its feet after flooding forced it to close for more than a week, with losses estimated in the tens of thousands.

Appliance Plus Whakatāne, owned by the Jury family, was affected by the heavy rain on April 20, which caused significant internal flooding and damage to stock and fittings.

Manager Kristy Jury said the store was closed for nine days, from discovering the damage Monday morning, to reopening the following Wednesday.

“We were closed for over a week; the loss in trading would be upwards of $50,000 to $70,000 gross,” she said.

The flooding was caused by intense rainfall overwhelming internal drainage, with water entering the store and damaging carpets, displays, stock and computer equipment.

“It managed to do a lot of damage in a short amount of time,” Ms Jury said.

The business, which has been operating in retail for nearly 50 years under owner Mark Jury, previously traded as Bay Betta Electrical before becoming Appliance Plus around 2017.

The closure meant the store missed out on Anzac Day sales, a typically busy retail period.

Despite the setback, Ms Jury said the community response had been overwhelmingly positive.

“As soon as we opened the doors, we had really encouraging customers coming in. Our loyal customers were waiting for us to reopen.”

Staff have been working long days to restock and reorganise the store, with a recent delivery of around 30 large items adding to the workload.

“There’s been a bit of a silver lining – we’ve changed the layout of the store and had really good feedback.”

She said customers had also been understanding about minor delays during the closure, with the business continuing to operate behind the scenes where possible.

“We were still receiving stock for customers, so we didn’t stop completely.”

The April 20 downpour also affected the Tile Warehouse on Commerce St, which closed for two days.

Owner Lisa Schuster said flooding damaged the store’s entryway, leaving carpet and flooring needing to be removed and replaced.

“We were forced to close for two days, just until we could dry everything out,” she said.

The store has since reopened but is currently operating with a temporary side-door entry while repairs are ongoing.

“It’s a bit of a hiccup, but it’s not the end of the world – everything’s been carrying on pretty smoothly.”