By Bonny Burrows
The small town of Bunyip will soon be without a newsagency after the proprietors decided to close up and go travelling.
Joe and Camilla Greco have had town’s only newsagency on the market for two years, putting off retirement in the hope it would be snapped up by an interested party.
But with the lease due to expire and the promise of travel, they have decided to shut up shop on 30 June.
The last of home deliveries by the Bunyip Newsagency will be on 14 May, before Cardinia Distributions takes over the following day.
The couple thought “long and hard” about their decision after they had run the newsagency for 20 years.
“It’s disappointing we haven’t been able to sell, but sometimes you’ve got to move on,” Mr Greco said.
The closure will be a blow to the local community and loyal customers who made the daily trek to the newsagency to pick up the day’s news before enjoying a cup of coffee at the local cafe.
Instead, they’ll have to purchase their news from the town’s supermarket.
But Mr Greco expects this will be the way of the future.
“There’ll be no newsagency in Bunyip at all, which is sad, but we truly did try to sell it,” Mr Greco said.
“It wasn’t the price, people just aren’t prepared to invest in an industry that doesn’t have a future.”
The Grecos have enjoyed a prosperous career in the industry over the past 20 years, backed by a loyal customer base.
They took over the former heritage listed Bunyip Newsagency site – now home to the Bendigo Bank – in 2006 before relocated to the current premises in the shopping plaza nine years ago.
Over the years they have sold a first division prize pool to an elderly woman and made lifelong friends.
“Twenty years is a long time, you meet a lot of characters along the way,” Mr Greco said.
However, in recent times customer numbers have dwindled, which Mr Greco put down to an aging population and the popularity of social media.
“A lot of our customers were older, and as time goes on, sadly, so do they, into homes or pass away,” Mr Greco said.
The couple thanked their loyal customers for their support, and encouraged everyone to keep in touch.
“We’re still staying in the town, you just might see me on the golf course instead,” Mr Greco said.
