100-year old Godfreys owner John Johnston has opened a new store at Adelaide Arcade

NEARLY 80 years after opening the first Godfreys store in Adelaide, centenarian John Johnston has opened the doors to a new outlet in Adelaide Arcade, just metres from the city’s original store.

Godfreys chief executive John Hardy with 100-year old owner John Johnston and The Adelaide City Jazz Men at Godfreys’ new Adelaide Arcade store. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

• John Johnston to complete full takeover of Godfreys

NEARLY 80 years after opening the first Godfreys store in Adelaide, centenarian John Johnston has opened the doors to a new outlet in Adelaide Arcade, just metres from the city’s original store.

The Adelaide businessman, who turned 100 in July, took back control of the vacuum cleaner chain earlier this year after co-founding the company with Godfrey Cohen in the 1930s.

The first store was opened in Melbourne in 1936, followed three years later with the first Adelaide store in Adelaide Arcade in 1939.

“It’s really exciting to be back where it all started for Godfreys and I’m confident about the future of the company,” Mr Johnston said following a launch event this afternoon.

Mr Johnston’s Arcade Finance took over Godfreys in July for around $13.5 million, 12 years after he and the Cohen family sold the company to a private equity group for $300 million.

After listing on the Australian Stock Exchange in 2014, Godfreys struggled with large debts and falling sales and profits.

“I was worried about the direction the company was going in and wanted to do something to support the company’s many loyal employees,” Mr Johnston said.

“We have some exciting plans to get the company back to where it was with new store openings, new products and a revamp of our advertising approach.”

One of Mr Johnston’s first acts during the takeover this year was to give 75-year old John Hardy a third stint as chief executive.

Mr Hardy was the public face of Godfreys in the 1990s, in TV advertisements showing the suction power of a vacuum with a ten-pin bowling ball.

He said the company had a long-term plan to revitalise the company under the new private ownership.

“This has included the revitalisation of some outlets, the relocation of others, identifying opportunities for new stores to be opened, introducing new products and significantly boosting advertising,” he said.

“The Adelaide Arcade location offers a great opportunity for us to have an outlet in the heart of Adelaide, and I think there’s some nostalgia there for all of us.”

Mr Hardy said a number of new products would be introduced in coming weeks, including a new robotic window cleaner and a next generation robotic floor vacuum cleaner.