North Ryde’s Coxs Road Hardware and Paint Store shuts
A pair of broken pliers led to 35 years operating one of North Ryde’s most successful small businesses for electrician Tony Fedele. But that is all now about to come to and end.
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A pair of broken pliers led to 35 years operating one of North Ryde’s most successful small businesses.
Electrician Tony Fedele went to buy tool tools at Coxs Road Hardware and Paint Store on January 24, 1984.
“I stuffed some pliers up, went into the shop and ended up buying the shop,’’ he said.
“I had a chat to the owner and said ‘If you ever want to sell … and he said ‘As a matter of fact it’s up for sale because I want to buy the bottle shop next-door’,”.
More than three decades on, the Coxs Road Mall mainstay will shut after Mr Fedele, 60, made a decision to retire, leaving behind his passion for hardware.
“I always liked hardware stores; it’s my passion,’’ he said.
“I always go shopping with my wife at Top Ryde and Eastwood and she will always find me at the hardware store. I don’t like the supermarket.”
An official closing date has not been set but clearance sales have started.
The business bounced back after a fire destroyed the shopping centre in 1994 but he believes the popularity of online shopping and hardware juggernauts would inevitably kill trade.
“Bunnings will come to Gladesville in 2020 and no doubt that would have taken from this business anyway,’’ he said.
“They are chewing everyone up, not just hardware stores — nurseries, electrical stores. “They’re the bigger ones and the small ones get spat out.”
He said there were about 220 hardware stores across Australia 10 years ago but now there were just 80.
One of Mr Fedele’s son’s, Daniel, works at the store, along with his wife Maria, sister-in-law Margherita Zavaglia, and loyal staff Andrew Dawson, Gabe Chiplin, Ben Paul and Robert Possiti.
Mr Fedele is keen to spend more time with his two grandchildren but will work part time as an electrician and handyman.
“I won’t miss working seven-days-a week. I haven’t had a full weekend off for 30 years.
“When you’ve had enough, you’ve had enough.”
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