Our History - Part 3. Craig's time!
By the time I took over in 2014, Weigh 'n Pay had been running for more than two decades. It had outlasted competitors, survived recessions, moved suburbs, lost partners, and outlived the franchising dream to become something quieter and more durable: a single, well-loved store that knew exactly what it was.
Mum had been through serious health issues in the years leading up to the handover. Staff had kept the store running during the periods when she couldn't be there (thanks Sarah Aldridge, Elaine, Kerrie, Debbie & Co!), which turned out to be its own kind of lesson, proof that the business could function without her, that she'd built something with enough structure and culture to survive her absence.
Around this time, I had spent six months in corporate finance after finishing my studies and found it thoroughly uninspiring. When the opportunity at Weigh 'n Pay presented itself, I took it.
"I had reservations, as Craig was still pretty young" Mum says. Still, she handed over the reigns for 12 months to see how things went.
What she didn't anticipate was being asked to step back entirely. I found that Mum was (rightfully so) a little unsure about decisions I was making and something had to give!
"I was surprised when Craig asked me to leave,but I now know that was the right call. The store didn't need two owners." It gave her an early retirement at age 56, though "retirement" for Mum seems like a loose term for someone who volunteers her time 7 days a week, and still pops into the shop all the time!
My thoughts on what the store means to me now touches on something Mum built without fully naming it: Weigh 'n Pay as a third space. Not home, not work, but somewhere in between, a place where people run into each other, catch up, and head off for a coffee together. We've had many situations where someone asks for a product, someone else chimes in and says "you can come grab some from my tree", and off they go together. How cool!
The late Bob and Anne Brabazon, customers who became like surrogate parents to Mum after she'd moved to the other side of the world from her own family, are the kind of relationship that a supermarket simply cannot manufacture.
Dad also wanted to note Philomena and Will, who invited our family over for regular meals and became good friends over the years.
The world, meanwhile, has been slowly coming around to the things Weigh 'n Pay has been saying all along. Plastic waste. Sustainability. Buying local. Shopping with intention. Food provenance. It feels like people have finally found us!
We've been here all these years, and now people are learning more about this. It just took them a while to come to the realisation!
The supermarkets have had their own go at bulk food over the years, with their bins and their health food aisles. I'm not intimidated. This style of business only works if you do it right. Cleanliness, product quality, customer knowledge, service… supermarkets are just not set up to do this right, because it's not very profitable when done properly. It's a niche, and it's always been a niche. But it's our niche, and we've had 33 years to get good at it!
What does the next thirty years look like? I'm not sure. The world is heading somewhere fast, AI, convenience, everything delivered, pre-made meals.
Weigh 'n Pay has always been going the other way. I reckon about 80% of people walk straight past without ever coming in. But when they do come in, they're always surprised. "How long have you been here?!" It's the question that probably says the most about the store's relationship with the suburb it serves, present enough to be taken for granted, special enough to be worth discovering.
The big renovation back in 2023 was a bit of a turning point, after a couple tough years of trade through the Covid pandemic. Our best selling cake topper was one of the Virus with "Covid ruined by Birthday!"... it was a weird time where it felt like we could do nothing right. Despite the struggle, I commited to another lease, spent good money on a full shop renovation (while my wife was 7 months pregnant!). I was working 15-18 hour days for 3 weeks straight, calling in favours from mates to get through it all. In the end I saved over $100k compared to a shop fitters quote, and I reckon we did a great job!
After feeling a lot of burnout, I listed for sale back in early 2025. An offer very quickly came through but once I started to think about life after Weigh ‘n Pay… I kind of panicked. Where else am I going to find a career that allows me the freedom, flexibility and fun I now enjoy? It’s for sure had its ups & downs, but after standing at the precipice, ready to walk away and deciding not to, I am now more motivated than ever.
This process helped reframe things in my mind, and I now just feel fortunate, lucky and #blessed to run this cool store, with great staff and even better customers. How lucky am I!
I’ve got big plans for the next few years with a lot of work happening behind the scenes to bring our systems up to date, ensuring simpler operations and longevity for many years to come. We're going to keep bringing you the best local products we can find, and we'll always do it with a smile.
Dad's hope for the next thirty years is simple: to see it continue to succeed.
Mum's is harder to articulate but easy to feel. She would have felt a deep loss walking away and selling to a stranger. Watching me build on what she started, the same store, the same values, means something that doesn't have a clean word for it.
"Thanks for everything," she says, when I asked what she'd wanted to say to the people who've shopped with us over the years. "Your custom, your friendship. Thank you for your loyalty and for believing in the concept. We couldn't do it without you.”
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