ALICIA S. COOK <\/p>\n
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PALL MALL institution Colliers Shoes is closing after close to a century of service to the town.<\/p>\n
Owner, Kristian Wenckowski, bought the business 24 years ago from a member of the Collier family, who founded the store in 1930. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s probably one of the original retailers in this precinct and probably one of the oldest retailers in Bendigo,\u201d Mr Wenckowski said. <\/p>\n
As a bricks and mortar store, Mr Wenckowski said the business had a strong connection to the community and for decades had been the go-to place for parents to buy their child\u2019s first pair of shoes. <\/p>\n
\u201cPeople trust you and I can\u2019t tell you how many generations we\u2019ve had come through here,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou form a bond, a trust, people probably had a bit more time on their hands than they do now, but you were part of the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cSadly, retail is really drifting away from that because, even in towns like Bendigo, you\u2019ll see the same retailers you see in most big places, so your little guys here are few and far between.\u201d <\/p>\n
The closure of the store marks the end of an era on Pall Mall and according to Mr Wenckowski was brought about by a combination of developments in e-commerce and changes to local retail habits. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf we were realists, we probably would have pulled up stumps in COVID time because it was pretty tight even in that period,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Mr Wenckowski said it had been hard to let go of the staff and they\u2019d hung on to the business as long as possible. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe feel tied to our crew, but there\u2019s a time where you just have to say \u2018well, we can only bleed for so long\u2019, so here we are,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s sad but we\u2019re just part of history.\u201d <\/p>\n
With the shopfront about to sit vacant, Mr Wenckowski said he would like to see more involvement from the municipality to preserve Bendigo\u2019s retail environment. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhilst I don\u2019t blame them for the rate increases and things like that, I think they need to think about the future of this precinct,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
The closure is one in a string of prominent local businesses folding, with the Good Loaf Sourdough Bakery closing their Bendigo location at the end of 2023 after 15 years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ALICIA S. COOK PALL MALL institution Colliers Shoes is closing after close to a century of service to the town. Owner, Kristian Wenckowski, bought the business 24 years ago from a member of the Collier family, who founded the store in 1930. \u201cIt\u2019s probably one of the original retailers in this precinct and probably one […]<\/p>\n