Well, another locally owned business has closed its doors for the last time. I could go on and on for pages and pages about supporting locally owned businesses but I won’t. In saying that, there are two things I would like to remind the people of Armidale.
Firstly, when I see local schools, sporting groups, charities, etc holding fundraisers, very few times do I see businesses that are owned or operated from out of town supporting these events. Having worked for Armidale Retravision for the past seven years I was amazed at how much they would donate to anyone who requested assistance. Sometimes small, sometimes big, but every little bit helps. As more and more locally owned businesses close, it’s not looking good for those groups who need help for whatever fundraising they may be hoping to do. So next time you purchase clothing, electrical, hardware, etc, have a think about who provides help to your sporting group, your school, your local community. Secondly, as more and more people buy items online, more and more bricks and mortar stores are closing. This will lead to less job opportunities for young kids when leaving school, or just simply wanting to score a part-time job while still attending school. Yes, you may save $50 now, but when your child, or grandchild, can’t find a job as employment opportunities continue to shrink, they then need to get welfare payments, then tax rates increase as more and more people become jobless. Is it really worth it? Rant over.
I would like to say a huge thank you to all the great customers who have been so loyal to Armidale Retravision over the many years, including back when it was Thom’s Retravision and Spark & Co (run by Geoff and Lyn Moore). If it wasn’t for those wonderful customers we wouldn’t have made it this far. It didn’t take long for the sad news to travel, and the response was amazing. So many customers rang or popped into the store to find out if it was real, then offering their condolences and heartfelt sorrow about losing their preferred destination for their electrical needs, some almost bringing staff to tears with their kind words. Most of the staff have already gained employment, including a few going to Harvey Norman. It was great to see some businesses approaching staff as soon as the announcement was made that the store would be closing.
To the staff I have worked with over the last seven years, thanks for the memories. Many staff had formed friendships with other staff that will last a lifetime. There have been bad days, but they are easily outnumbered by the great days. Many laughs had, stories told and a damn lot of hard work. I never worked for Geoff and Lyn Moore when they owned Spark & Co, but Lyn stayed on after Tony Thom took over Spark & Co, and I can honestly say this town will miss the industry knowledge of Lyn Moore (and her fresh farm eggs for sale at the front counter).
Last but not least, I would like to thank Tony Thom for the time I have spent at Retravision. I am also sure many other staff, both past and present, feel the same. He has been a great boss that would always help where needed. Understanding we all had families we wanted to spend time with, he was always flexible with staff rosters, allowing staff to have time off when needed even when staff levels may have been low. It was those types of little things that made him such a great man to work for.
Stephen Snape
