The Nook finds its niche in changing business landscape

It’s no secret that times are tough for small family businesses, but one little southeast Queensland shop is fighting back, the owners saying it ‘won’t be going anywhere’.

The Nook at Thornlands has found a way to stay viable in the tough business landscape. Picture: Danielle Buckley

OLD corner shops have been woven into the fabric of Australian society for decades.

Some are surviving, very few are thriving, and the ones that are have had to all but reinvent themselves.

Last week, The Red Shop on Finucane Road closed after 40 years’ serving hot chips and milkshakes to Alexandra Hills families.

Hundreds share memories of old Alex Hills corner shop

A few suburbs over, Jennifer and Axel Dielenberg have leased their corner store, Cleveland Family Fare, for three years.

Jennifer and Axel Dielenberg a Cleveland Family Fare.

The shop, across the road from Cleveland District State High School, has been supplying students with lollies and chips for well over 20 years.

But six weeks ago the Dielenbergs made the decision to put their shop on the market, saying they just can’t compete with major shopping centres.

“Coles and Woolies are opening from 7am until 9pm at night so we’ve lost customers,” Mr Dielenberg said.

“The business is here only because of the students. If you take the students out, you can close the shop immediately.”

The Nook has been owned by the Gisler family for 15 years.

At Thornlands, The Nook has found a way to fight back.

The roadside store is run by the Gisler family, who have sold their famous meat pies in the area since 1976, and who say they are here for the long haul.

“We won’t be going anywhere, we’ll fight to the death,” owner Jon Gisler said.

“This is an iconic roadside business and we pride ourselves in keeping the tradition going. But it’s certainly been tough.”

Corner shops Redlands The Nook

The building has stood on Boundary Road since 1957.

It was used as a strawberry farm packing shed until 1969 when the building was converted into a local produce store that was eventually bought by the Marshall family in 1978.

The Gislers have leased the shop for 15 years, constantly tweaking their business model along the way.

The Gislers put an espresso cart out the front of the store to help keep customers flowing.

Mr Gisler said in recent years, The Nook had opened coffee cart G-Spot Espresso on the site, had made effort to get a following on their social media channels and extended their trading hours from 4am until 6pm.

“You’ve got to change the dynamic all the time with what is working,” he said.

“We used to have a lot more volume for fruit and veg, now we sell mostly bakery goods and coffee.”

Mr Gisler said he feared big corporations would “squeeze little businesses out” of the market.

“A lot more businesses in the local area will be closing in the near future,” he said.

“The rents are high, electricity is high and the cost of good — everything just seems to keep going up.”

“But we’re certainly here to fight it out. We take a lot of pride in what we do.”