BUSINESS PROFILE
Forty years of dedicated service By Liz Clark Peter and Janice Calvert and their family celebrated a ruby anniversary in March – not 40 years of marriage, but 40 years of ownership of the Anglesea supermarket and 40 years of hard work and dedicated service to our community. Along with their children Stuart, Ryan and David they have watched with pride, sometimes with anxiety, how their business has grown – from a tiny shop with a bottle department tucked into one corner and a deli, fruit and vegetable section tucked into another – to a modern, well-planned supermarket offering an enormous range of products to meet the needs of locals and visitors.
In the early days, trading was 9–5 Monday to Friday, 9–12 noon Saturday with no Sunday trading. How things change! There are definitely no Sundays off for the family anymore. Hours are extended as soon as summer arrives, then cut back into the winter months as required.
The Calvert name is synonymous with Anglesea, from employing locals, stocking local lines, to volunteering and sponsorship.
Since 1982 the shop has grown and expanded with two extra shops being added to the original premises. In 1996 a new shopping centre was built in the centre of town and the supermarket moved into much larger premises. Increasing growth in population numbers and tourism meant the shop was still not adequate to meet demand, so in 1997 a smaller adjoining shop became the bottle shop and in 2000 another adjoining shop was used to enlarge the supermarket space. In 2005 more renovations were completed and 2010 major renovations and extensions were undertaken to provide a very large storage area as well. This is the shop you see today.
The Calvert boys began helping out in the store as soon as they were old enough, helping to weigh fruit and vegetables, assisting customers, and doing other odd jobs. They continued to do part-time work there for many years until starting their own professions, and still are on call if required.
Ryan was the first son to come back into the business permanently in 2004, with David following in 2007. Today father Peter and son Ryan oversee all business activities, together with the backup of David who works in all departments. Grandson Theodore now also works part time in the supermarket. Young people in the town (and children/grandchildren of locals) owe much to Peter’s willingness to give them a go when they were old enough to work in the store. Peter is willing to believe in the best in people, and likes to see youngsters taking their first steps on the employment ladder. In addition, he has been extremely generous and thoughtful in offering work to people in town who have been unable to find employment nearby. There are always a few spare hours for those who are willing to work well and hard. The Calverts are well known for an amazing generosity of spirit which has them deeply involved in sporting activities in the area, supporting all the local clubs – practically, financially and as members, committee members and/or spectators. They are always willing to make contributions to community groups in need, showing an amazing willingness to offer sponsorships and donations when called on, all in addition to the Community Chest program run by IGA and community benefit programs that also run through the store.
Long-time employees at IGA Neville Hotchin and Kim Taylor with Peter Calvert. Photo: Deb Elliot 18
The Calvert name is synonymous with Anglesea, from employing locals, stocking local lines, to volunteering and
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