De Grandi's Sportsgoods closes after 114 years

De Grandi's Sportsgoods will hold a store-wide clearance sale before the property freehold goes under the auctioneer's hammer in early July.

Changing shopping habits, more competition and the need for a well-deserved break have been touted as the reasons behind the closure.

"Attitudes to shopping have changed over the years," Michael De Grandi said yesterday.

"Whether it's just the generations, I don't know, but service just isn't a priority any more."

Michael De Grandi, who operates the business with his brother John, admitted it would be sad to shut the doors of a business that was first opened by his great grandfather Lou De Grandi way back in 1897.

"It's amazing the amount of comments you do get from metropolitan people saying what a great store it is. It's the old-fashioned service and we've made after-sales service a priority," Michael said.

With such a long history, there are still some treasures to be found on the store's shelves, including cricket bats from the 1970s and old presses for wooden tennis racquets.

"We did have some stock with pounds, shillings and pence (labels) on it only a couple of years ago," Michael said.

He said the growth in internet shopping had impacted on sales, with many people electing to buy discounted goods on the web, despite knowing they would not have the guarantee or back-up offered by a retail store.

"It's really a throw-away society," he said.

"You can't go anywhere near some of the prices they're coming in at. You've only got so much buying power.

"Even a lot of the companies don't put reps on the road any more because it's not worth it."

One De Grandi decree, handed down by his father Cyril, was that the store would not open past lunchtime on Saturdays. Family members were heavily involved in their own sporting pursuits and did not believe their staff should miss out.

It continues to this day, despite increased competition.

"It's one thing we've always stipulated. We've bucked against opening on weekends. People need time with their families and kids to play their sport," Michael said.

"Friday nights used to be busy because you'd get people coming in from other areas. But the kids now are not taking on farms anymore and a lot of little places are becoming ghost towns.

"In Warrnambool everything is saturated and there's too much of the same sort of shop. People haven't got an extra $50 to $100 to splurge on themselves now."

De Grandi’s opened in 1897 as a cycle and gun shop, gradually expanding to other sporting goods and building a reputation as one of the district’s leading retailers.

Lou De Grandi handed the business to his son Ernest, and then his son, Cyril, left school as a lad of 14 to work in the family business in the 1930s.

Cyril eventually retired due to ill health and he and wife Norma now live at Warrnambool’s Mercy Place aged care facility.

John and Michael have also faced their own health battles. John, 55, survived a recent cancer scare, while Michael, 53, had a stroke five years ago.

“I threw off another clot a few weeks ago,” he added. Doctors believe both stem back to when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 1982. The decision to sell was one discussed by the entire family.

“The enthusiasm just isn’t there any more,” Michael said.

“The fun’s gone right out of the business, actually.

"The place is getting a bit like us — falling to bits.”

Brian O’Halloran and Company is scheduled to auction the freehold on July 2.