The Spirit of Trade in The Northern Territory

A new wave of trade

As a kid, Shaun Edwards would travel to the mangroves at Mandorah Beach by boat with his sister and grandad to collect periwinkles. Bags full, they would head back to Darwin and trade with the old greek men for biscuits. It was Shaun’s earliest memory of trading and one he has never forgotten.

House of Darwin is a social enterprise. A for profit clothing company who reinvest their profits into social programs in remote Indigenous communities. Refurbishing basketball courts, creating sports programs and safe spaces for kids to gather and celebrate their culture.

Shaun started the brand selling out the back of his Troopy. Today House of Darwin is stocked in 80+ retail stores across Australia. Bringing the stories of the Territory to the world.

The history of trade in the Northern Territory can be traced back to before colonisation. Makassar people from what became Indonesia would sail to the shores of Arnhem Land to collect sea cucumbers in exchange for axes, knives and rice.

The Afghan cameleers moved goods across Australia’s barren interior by camel train. They connected coastal cities with pastoral land and formed what became the Great Northern Railway, or The Ghan. The Ghan paved the way for the Stuart Highway. The camel passed the torch onto the four-wheel drive. The trade routes carved out in the past are being used to create the future.

Today, a new wave of trade is entering the territory. Musicians, artists, tradespeople and chefs. Giving it a go and continuing to shape the paths created before them.

Tools to sell anywhere

House of Darwin needed tools that helped them sell anywhere. Whether it’s in remote communities out the back of Shaun’s Troopy, opening House of Darwin’s flagship store in Darwin, or purchasing inventory to stock 80+ Universal Stores across Australia. As they have grown, so have their Square tools.

• Sell anywhere with Square Reader and Square Terminal.
• Manage the store and team on the go with live performance and inventory management.
• Process card payments with Square offline payments

I’m constantly on the go and Square gives me live data to check sales and make crucial business decisions. Whether I’m boarding a plane to America, Melbourne or Sydney.”

Shaun Edwards → Owner, House Of Darwin

Scaling inventory with Square Loans

When presented with the opportunity to stock House of Darwin in 80+ Universal Stores across Australia, they needed access to cash flow, quickly. After trading with Square, House of Darwin accepted a Square Loan** which helped them to buy additional inventory.

• Take payments with Square, and our algorithm may create loan offers based on your Square sales, payment frequency, and new and regular customers, among other criteria.
• Repay as you trade with daily deductions.
• Get your money in days, not weeks, if approved.

We needed access to cashflow and Square Loans were able to offer us a loan that we could service but also keep our business operating.”

Shaun Edwards → Owner, House Of Darwin

A point of sale for retailers

Selling in store and at remote pop up locations means House of Darwin need a POS system that could keep track of their constantly changing inventory, across locations. Square For Retail allows them to create a customisable and scalable catalogue, resulting in more efficient workflows and visibility for the whole team.

• Manage your inventory across multiple locations
• Keep track of your best sellers with real time sales reports
• Start selling wherever you are and we’ll help you succeed

Whenever I receive a new shipment of stock I’m able to log all of the units of that shipment and keep track of all of the stock. I can see what’s running out, what’s most popular, what we need to re-stock and it’s all right there in front of me.”

Kelly Graebner → Store Manager, House Of Darwin