Fat Comics, Brandons Shoe Repairs, Southside Antiques Centre closing in Annerley

A business owned by the same family for 100 years is the latest to join an exodus of landmark retailers at a once-bustling southside strip. In some good news, there are closing-down sales this week.

A beloved small business owned by the same family for 100 years is the latest to join an exodus of landmark retailers on Annerley’s once-bustling Ipswich Rd shopping strip.

Brandons Shoe Repairs, which has operated from the same shopfront for 65 years and was started in 1924 by Joe Brandon and his business partner, will close at the end of the year.

It will follow cult retailer Fat Comics, billed as Australia’s largest seller of collectable comics, which would serve its last customers this weekend after a decade in business.

And Southside Antiques Centre will also close later this year, after four decades.*

Annerley Home Brew and a local hairdresser were also gone, or closing.

The exodus even included the Annerley police station, which was being amalgamated with police services at Coorparoo, Dutton Park and Camp Hill and moved to new premises at Stones Corner.

Trevor Brandon and partner Frances are retiring at the end of the year. Picture: Frances Brandon

The wave of closures has been met with sadness by residents, such as Pamela, who posted that “so much of what made Annerley distinctive and interesting is gone’’.

“Before I moved here I used to come to Pennisi Fine Foods, but they shifted,’’ she said.

“Since I came here the German bakery near Chardon’s Corner closed, so did the Persian grocer not far from that.

“Near there were some African shops and a music shop. All gone.

“Annerley Fruit Barn and that good grocery store inside it blew away in a storm.

“The community bookshop has closed, Voodoo Rabbit fabrics has moved — it will be yet another cultural desert.’’

Brandons is the oldest continuously-owned shop in Annerley. Picture: Frances Brandon

Francis Brandon, who runs Brandons Shoe Repairs with her husband Trevor, said they were now in their 70s and it was time to retire.

“We asked around but nobody wants to take the business on, which is bad for the people of Annerley,’’ she said.

“Junction Park State School is just around the corner and we have people coming in the shop who have told us they came here as children, with their parents, to buy school shoes.

“We’ve been in this same shop for 65 years, which is longer than anyone else in Annerley.

“It used to be a TV shop until Colin (son of founder Joe Brandon) opened here in 1959.’’

They also owned the Fat Comics premises and said comments from some residents about high rents driving it out were untrue.

Fat Comics in Annerley is one of several retail icons in the area to close.

“As the landlord of the shop we consider our rent charged is very reasonable, hence our tenants have usually stayed for over 10 years-plus,’’ she posted.

Fat Comics owner Norm Bardell confirmed rent was not the issue but instead his sister Karen, who had run the shop for about a decade, had moved to Western Australia.

“My main job is in IT, so this is a hobby business for me,’’ he said.

“I looked into it and it was too difficult hiring staff.

“We’ve got a large online business so we will keep on with that.’’

Fat Comics’ last day would be this Saturday, July 13, with a 50 per cent-off sale to mark its final days. Items not included in the half-price sale were marked down 5 per cent.

It would be open from 10.30am until 3.30pm today, Thursday July 11, tomorrow and on Saturday.

“I’ve met so many amazing people in this industry. Many of you are dear friends and I cherish every memory,’’ Mr Bardell posted.

“As I write this, I realise how much this store and all of you mean to me.

“Thank you, everyone. You make the comic scene awesome.’’

Southside Antiques Centre was also holding what it called a “retirement sale’’, which kicked off on July 6, with 25 per cent off in-store stock until it ran out. It closes later this year.

“After 40 years, this Brisbane institution is closing this year,’’ owner Rhonda McGuigan said. “It’s the end of an era. A special, heartfelt thanks for all your good cheer and patience as we have been overwhelmed despite getting in extra staff (for the sale).

Her two sons and daughter were even roped in to help on the first weekend of sales to handle foot traffic they estimated at 11 times normal levels.

“It’s been crazy. We don’t know how long the sales will go on at this stage,’’ son Michael Scully said.

“We’re trying to sell the building and reduce the stock before that happens.

“It’s huge — two levels with antiques on the ground floor and artwork and furniture on the basement floor.’’

Mr Scully said his mother was a powerhouse, despite her age, and would get up at 6am to sweep the footpath for about 100m from the Westpac bank outlet to Brandons before starting her day’s work.

Rhonda McGuigan, owner of Southside Antiques Centre, in 2017 with military memorabilia. Picture: AAP/ Ric. Frearson

Ms McGuigan, 84, has run the shop since 1986 and sadly had not been able to find anyone to take over the business.

While some small, longtime Annerley Junction retailers have hung on, such as Paul Lawless who has run Annerley Meats for more than 40 years, the area has seen a major change of the guard in the past two decades.

Ms Brandon said a large part of its present challenges included lack of parking, as well as the heavy traffic on Ipswich and Annerley roads.

“There was a big meeting some years ago where it was proposed to build a tunnel, like they have at Nundah, with surface traffic just for local shops, but they decided it was too expensive to go ahead with,’’ she said.

Other traders said the widening of the road and dropping the speed limit had turned it into a bottleneck, which had not helped.

Southside Antique Centre is holding a retirement sale this week.

“When I married in 1980 and came here it was a really thriving shopping strip.

“It had everything you needed — three shoe shops, two fabric shops, ladies and men’s clothing, chemists.

“But when they left we had real estate offices, second-hand shops, hairdressers and so on moving in.

“Seven-day trading also had a big impact, I think.’’

Local state MP Mark Bailey, who had his shoes repaired at Brandons, said the community was really going to miss the veteran traders.

“The future is a little uncertain. Annerley Junction is a significant retail centre so it has an effect when shops people have known for decades close.’’

* An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Southside Antiques would close on July 13. We apologise for the error.