This family-owned store has been on The Parade for more than a century

After 104 years in business, SE Waite is still going strong. 

Shane Waite is more than simply the owner of SE Waite and Son. He's the custodian of a family tradition that stretches back more than a century. 

His great-grandfather Sydney bought the store in 1921, and his son Hayden is now the fifth generation to work in the family business. 

“In the early days, it was really a secondhand furniture business,” says Shane, who spent his school holidays going to auctions and watching the staff bid on furniture before loading it onto the truck and bringing it to the store. 

“Originally they delivered by horse and cart, and there were two horses that my grandfather and father would take home to their house in Kensington Park every night.”

The inevitable move to automobiles was just one of many changes over the past century, and the business has continued to evolve since Shane joined full-time in 1990.

“Each generation has altered things slightly to suit the current times,” he says.

“I got rid of second-hand furniture because platforms like Gumtree changed the business, and now we stock predominantly kitchenware, giftware and homewares.”

The knife sharpening service he added nine years ago has also proved a huge success, and he now spends several hours a day honing blades.

This year Shane will celebrate 35 years at SE Waite and Son. And though his father and grandfather both clocked up 55 years, he likes to point out that they weren't trading seven days a week.

“So I tell my dad that when you factor in the extra days, I'm equal to his 55 years. That razzes him up!”

Both of Shane's parents still pop in several days a week to see what's new and help customers out.

“And when someone isn't available to work, I still ring my mum up and she will come in and help out if there's an emergency.”

It's not just the ownership that spans generations, either. “We see people who were kids when I started working here,” says Shane.

“Now they're having babies and buying houses, so we sometimes see three generations coming through.

"You never know who will walk through the door next, which is part of the excitement... And after 105 years in business, we still notice the appreciation and support we get from customers.

"Everyone who comes in is greeted with a hello and we try to make sure they always walk out with a smile knowing they've purchased something from a local business.”

Turning 100 in the middle of the pandemic meant that the store's big birthday celebrations were sadly muted, but Shane is confident there are many more anniversaries to come.

“With the loyal support we get from customers, we're confident the business will continue running for many years, and hopefully the next two generations can throw a much bigger party for the 150^th anniversary.”

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186 The Parade, Norwood 
W: https://waiteandson.com.au/