THE Mansfield Newsagent has hosted its last hurrah, a thank-you barbecue to the community for their support and patronage over Frank and Moya Livingstone’s 20 year tenure at the High Street location.
It is the end of an era, the town now without a newsagency for the first time in 132 years.
As Mr Livingstone told the Courier the couple didn’t want to see the township without a newsagent, “but (the business) had been on the market for two and a half years and still had not had one expression of interest”.
The doors closed and the windows taped over with paper, a new enterprise will be relocating to the sought-after location with its large display windows, and expansive floor space.
Under new branding, Andrew Storah from Mansfield Menswear is excited to be stocking a much larger range catering for both locals and visitors alike at the change of address.
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It’s been a vision he’s had for years but was unable to realise due to the size limitations of his current location.
Now with five times the floor space, Andrew is looking forward to expanding his business and product offering to meet demand.
And this situation it not an anomaly.
There seems to be a bit of a game of musical chairs with available leaseholds going on in town, as established businesses vie for better street frontages and spaces that are seen to be more conducive to trade.
But within this where are the new businesses?
This year has seen three gyms open, a hospitality venue and a couple of new law firms added to the mix, but retail has taken a hit.
The Highett Street shopfronts that were once One Tree Two and Swell Pilates stand empty, the former amalgamating with Anyroom, in the shop that once housed lifestyle store Basic B.
Invoke has shut up shop and remains for lease.
And last week we lost Country Folk, another High Street shop gone within the year.
Specialising in quality arts and crafts goods along with premium wools, yarns, haberdashery and sewing supplies, the store had been on the market for a few years without any takers.
And out on Mt Buller Road, the team at High Country Mowers and Chainsaws also made the difficult decision to close the doors, September 26 marking their last day of trade.
Another business that had been for sale for quite some time, the Husqvarna dealership didn't find anybody committed to taking on what was a great enterprise.
In a blow to the younger generations (and their parents) much-loved toy store Mac and Milly also quietly closed its doors, all the stock, fixtures and fittings snaffled up, lasting reminders of this decade-old family favourite.
Signage still remains - a temporary memento - but the lights aren’t on.
Much like the newsagent and High Country Mowers and Chainsaws it was a decision that wasn’t made lightly.
Many of these businesses have been built from scratch, with reputations for quality offerings and great customer service.
The majority have been well-established with strong patronage and a loyal clientele base and as ongoing concerns they represented a sound investment.
Some were even considered veritable institutions.
So, what is going wrong?
Is the current trend indicative of a sorry decline in brick-and-mortar retail fueled by a rise in e-commerce and a change in shopping habits?
Or is it more a sign of the times with the current economic climate impacting discretionary spending?
Statewide Victoria is currently experiencing an overall decrease in the number of businesses with business exits outstripping business entries, with July 2024 data unveiling the most significant annual exodus of businesses from the economy since records began.
Small and micro businesses are the hardest hit, with the Hume region – of which Mansfield is a part - on the higher end of the scale in comparison to our regional counterparts, experiencing a 4.43 per cent failure rate.
And whilst going forward the forecast has this figure plateauing for Hume – one of the only regions in the state to arrest the decline – the impact on our commercial districts is being felt.
Council of Small Business Organisations Australia chief executive, Luke Acherstraat attributed the statewide decline to a tough operating environment, marked by high costs and competitive uncertainty.
High interest rates, along with soaring energy costs and high insurance premiums, are all contributing, with figures according to Mr Acherstraat emphasising “the reality of how difficult it can be for businesses particularly small businesses to remain viable and to remain open for trade”.
According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, owning a small business can be a hard slog with income unpredictability one of more challenging aspects.
Around 43 per cent of small businesses fail to make a profit and 75 per cent of small business owners take home less than the average wage.
In fact nationally around 27 per cent of small businesses have an annual turn-over of zero to less than $50,000, so not only as a business owner you are potentially doing the lion’s share of the work, you’re also not being reimbursed for your time.
Of the number of small businesses in regional Victoria, 62 per cent were non-employing, and 27 per cent had between one and four employees.
Taking into consideration that mature-aged individuals are more likely to be small business owners, with nearly half being over the age of 50, it becomes clear that the situation may not be sustainable.
Frank and Moya Livingstone said running the Mansfield Newsagent was a full-time commitment running seven days a week, and the problem arose as they got older they were no longer in a position to continue.
“As we were getting to the end of our working life, a decision had to be made,” Mr Livingstone said.
Frank and Moya are not alone.
The average age of a small business owner has been steadily climbing, and there is a push by the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman to understand why owning a small business is not as appealing as it once was for younger Australians.
“We need to replenish and nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs, value self-employment and encourage and enable smaller enterprises and the livelihoods they make possible,” said the Hon Bruce Billson, Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman.
"More so as the spirit that drives people to run a small business also makes them great advocates for and contributors to their community,” he added.
At the recent Mansfield and District Business Association annual general meeting discussion revolved around the importance of shopping local to retain the integral character of the township and its amenities.
The importance of preserving the region’s individuality and fostering an environment where both locals and visitors are encouraged to support local businesses is considered a priority.
It is this individuality with our unique retail offerings and variety of services that will hopefully sustain, so that as one store turns off its lights, another may cut it's inaugural ribbon, adding something new but different to the mix.
