31 January 2012

McKellar Shops - What's Happening?

| banjo
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Does anyone know what is happening with McKellar shops? I popped in there the other day and noticed a small sign on the front door saying that they would be closed at the start of Feb with no reopen date? When I went in, most of the shelves had minimal stock and what was there was on sale further suggesting that they probably aren’t coming back.

I know the local suburb shops find it hard to survive, many have already closed with the Woollies and Coles boom, and in the case of McKellar, Evatt shops being only that bit further away has much more to offer in way of variety. But McKellar shops always seemed to have a steady flow of customers, although it has been down on numbers ever since it changed owners… it also recently down sized (one can only imagine with a reduction in rent) with the building owner using the vacated space to create 4 or so ridiculously small rental spaces (like small bedroom small) and not surprisingly, no one has leased them from what I can tell.

I recall there was actually an LDA sign up on the vacant area just to the side of the shops for future development, perhaps the whole lot is to be bulldozed and rolled into one future development?

Any knowledge on the subject is greatly appreciated, I live a stones throw away and when I run out of milk or bread it has been very handy!

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“Scrumpox” Top name….

“& if you go to Evatt shops, you must like the owner’s son who stands out the front all day eyeing customers off thinking they are all shoplifters.”

Your obviously one of those fools who makes ASSumptions off the bat aren’t you.. I have been shopping at that supermarket for as long as I can remember and the owner and his son are great people. Being a business owner myself in the surrounding area and as MsPink said you probably aren’t, I understand the pressures these 2 feel. Do some research and you’ll find that small businesses like this lose anywhere from 25k-50k a year from theft alone. More than enough reason to always be insight considering its a FAMILY BUSINESS!!! think about having theives digging their hands into your pockets and see how you like it. On top of that try managing a business from every angle and working probably 90+ hours a week.

That aside the owners son is quite a nice guy. I have been on a talking basis for many yrs with him and it all started by me approaching him to discuss a problem I had within his business. He was not only more than helpful and apologetic but has since then remembered me and goes out of his way to make sure my shopping is pleasant. They try very hard to make sure their customers are well received and both the son and his father put some ridiculous hours into that place.

Put yourself in their shoes, you start work at around 6am and work through until 8-9pm most days of the week. Then you might feel like you deserve some fresh air out the front of your store because thats exactly what he’s doing. I’VE ASKED HIM. I have seen him on a few occasions taking a 5 and I don’t blame him the guy works serious hours! probably triple you and thats if you even work??

As far as eyeing off you must be 1 of the minority that business owners in general have had a run in with or you just look like a dead set drop kick thief because I’ve had a chat with him out the front and he seems to do his best to greet any and all customers that come and go and not “eye them off”. In fact from what I know from speaking with him he’s only banned a handful of people for stealing which is fair enough don’t you think?

I can honestly say the owner, his son and staff there are more out going and friendly than any you’ll come across at woolies, coles or another as on many occasion they, (especially the son) will quiz me on how my family are doing with special interest in my mother who has been in and out of hospital of late.

before making inappropriate and out of place comments like you have you should try approaching the owner, and his son because you’ll probably find your comments were not only out of line but also wrong! Small business owners are trying to make a living just like any other person. The only difference between them and yourself is they get off they’re behind and earn a living rather than spending their time criticising others.

Maybe if you took the time to understand people you wouldn’t sound more and more like the fool you most probably are!

As for the Mckellar shops;

The dock was a mess because the owner used to run a tiling business from out the back i believe. AGAIN – I asked! funny where that gets you hey scrumpox

To Scrumpox
“if you go to Evatt shops, you must like the owner’s son who stands out the front all day eyeing customers off thinking they are all shoplifters.
Local shops in Canberra are generally run by nutters.”

Obviously you have a guilty conscience to be thinking like that! Maybe you should reconsider your actions and what you intentions are while in the shop otherwise you wouldn’t need to feel that way. Also maybe you should try and say hi on the rare occasion he might be outside, because if you haven’t screwed them around before I can safely say they will all greet you with a smile!

I shop there almost every day to buy majority of my groceries and all the staff there are polite and super friendly! I have never had that sort of experience with the owner or his son.

You can hardly say shops are generally owed/ run by nutters, obviously they are smarter than you and smart enough to own/ run the shop. You are clearly jealous!

TheDancingDjinn1:32 am 03 Feb 12

Scrumpox said :

Dude, the site was sold in 2006 for $1.2 million for future redevelopment into an apartment block with retail shops. The owners have run the shop into the ground for the last 6 years & you’d have to be crazy to actually shop there – generally all food is off and the staff are clueless. Will be glad to have the mess demolished, which has been breeding vermin/rats for years. If the developer can squeeze 50 units out, he’ll gross $20m – so you can see the lack of interest in crap food retailing.

& if you go to Evatt shops, you must like the owner’s son who stands out the front all day eyeing customers off thinking they are all shoplifters.

Local shops in Canberra are generally run by nutters.

What? – i go to Evatt shops daily, never once have i seen anyone standing anywhere eyeing off anyone thinking they are stealing. Maybe someone looks dodgy and has had a run in? – Not one person even kids has been looked at or followed or even treated shamefully while i have been there, and im there so much they know me.

Dude, the site was sold in 2006 for $1.2 million for future redevelopment into an apartment block with retail shops. The owners have run the shop into the ground for the last 6 years & you’d have to be crazy to actually shop there – generally all food is off and the staff are clueless. Will be glad to have the mess demolished, which has been breeding vermin/rats for years. If the developer can squeeze 50 units out, he’ll gross $20m – so you can see the lack of interest in crap food retailing.

& if you go to Evatt shops, you must like the owner’s son who stands out the front all day eyeing customers off thinking they are all shoplifters.

Local shops in Canberra are generally run by nutters.

Nice to know Scullin shops ain’t alone.

Its a miracle it is still open right now and I agree with the dock what a mess!!!!! And did anyone else ever notice that the meat is from Aldi, they just placed their own price tickets on there!

The development sign was about building yep, you guessed it – units! Apparently with shops underneath. If that means that all the junk and crap that fills the delivery/dock area then it is worth it.

I have never seen such a unkempt mess of a local shop. I normally would support my local shops but I avoid going there as much as I can. Half the stock is normally out of date anyway.

Oh, and I highly doubt that person/s behind the counter would have a clue about what is going on. They don’t strike me as caring a whole much about anything to do with customers or the locals.

screaming banshee7:11 pm 31 Jan 12

Perhaps you could take the model and serial number off the automated serving robot and contact the manufacturer to ask them if they know when the robot is being returned.

OR YOU COULD ASK THE PERSON BEHIND THE COUNTER!!

Seriously though, ask the person behind the counter, there is a good chance they’ll know and provided you are a regular* I’m sure they’ll tell you.

*that is assuming you always buy your bread and milk there and not just when you run out of big chain bread and milk, in which case you personally are responsible for their closure.

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