Grundy/Barlow Shoes celebrate 150 years of doing business in South Australia

A PAIR of Clydesdale horses has been brought in to help celebrate a family-owned shoe retailer’s 150-year milestone. Seven generations on, its current managing director shares the secret of his family’s success.

• Iconic shoe store nominated for new Adelaide Hall of Fame
• Barlows’ Brenton Whittenbury on payroll tax
• Six generations on, family shoe store closes

TAKE a family-owned business spanning seven generations and it’s a South Australian success story worth celebrating.

Add the claim to fame of being the longest continuous retailer in Rundle St, then throw in a couple of trusty old Clydesdale horses during peak hour and it’s a traffic stopper.

On Wednesday, shoes will be transported the old-fashioned way from Grundy’s Shoe store at Glenelg to the Rundle St outlet, to mark the retailers’ 150-year-history in SA.

Managing Director Brenton Whittenbury says he’s “immensely proud” to be part of his family’s retail story that began with the opening of Judd Shoes in the city in 1868 and now includes Grundy’s and Barlows shoe stores across Adelaide and Victor Harbor.

Brenton Whittenbury of Barlow Shoes, with Russell, Kerry-Anne and Kristin March, and Damien and Krystal Pugsley and Clydesdales Jack and Jet. Picture: AAP / Dean Martin

“The main achievement has been the ability to keep the business going for a 150 years and now into our seventh generation ... we are very proud of that,” he said.

“When my great great grandfather (Thomas Judd) first started it really was a cobbler’s shop where you’d come in and choose from two to three styles in two or three colours, get measured up and then come back in a week and they’d be ready for you.

“Today, we compete in a global market (environment) where you can’t just be looking at your own little patch. That’s probably our greatest challenge now, to remain relevant to our customer base in Adelaide ... to convince them they are best to shop with us, not someone interstate or overseas.”

A Hall of Fame category has been added to this year’s The City Awards. Grundys has been nominated — its original owner, Mr T Judd, is pictured here in 1910 holding the cane.

The 57-year-old remains confident brick and mortar retailers will survive.

“As far as we can see, there is still the desire to get out and shop and interact with people and have that face-to-face experience, as long as that continues, retail will survive,” he said.

It’s estimated the SA shoe retailer that now employs about 400 staff has sold more than five million pairs of shoes.

The horse-drawn cart is expected to arrive at the Jetty Rd store about 9am and at the Rundle St store about 1pm.

An exhibition of shoes, to celebrate the 150-year-milestone, is now on at the Adelaide Town Hall where a celebration will be held this weekend.

A blast from the past: Grundy’s Shoes move stock from the Glenelg store to its outlet in Adelaide’s CBD on horse and cart, to mark 150 years of the family-operated shoe retailer in SA. Picture: Supplied