Buckleys Supermarket celebrates 40 Years

Kenn Buckley and daughter Michelle

In January 2021, Kenn Buckley and the Buckley Family celebrated their 40th year operating the grocery supermarket in Maling Road, Canterbury. Over this 40-year period, the Buckley family has been revered in Canterbury for their valuable role in promoting a strong local community and providing customers with their food and grocery needs. Local publications joined the celebrations, publishing ‘the Buckley story’ in local newspapers and community newsletters.

Over these years, Kenn Buckley has been a part of many changes in the business, including the introduction of technology, which now covers all aspects of the business. Changes included bar codes, eftpos, scanning at the register, electronic ordering, email, internet, and online sales. Kenn’s family supermarket has been able to trade well, despite having witnessed the relentless growth and unsustainable competition from the two chains, Woolworths and Coles, which saw the demise of many family businesses as a consequence.

Canterbury is a Dry Area and has been so since 1920. One of Kenn’s biggest achievements was in gaining a packaged liquor license in 1991. This allowed Kenn to support locals with their beverage requirements when dining in local BYO restaurants.

Kenn, wife June, daughter Michelle and grandson Bruce, all work in the family business and have gone out of their way to employ locals, giving many school aged children their first employment opportunity. Kenn has been very active in helping to preserve the unique heritage character of the Maling Road shopping strip which attracts people from across Melbourne.

In addition, Kenn has always been an active industry member. Wherever Kenn went, he would gather new industry friends and colleagues and entertain them with his quick wit and endless jokes. Kenn’s passion outside of work is golf and his golf jokes could fill an encyclopedia.

We congratulate Kenn, June, and the entire Buckley family for achieving this wonderful milestone. A milestone the entire Canterbury community is very proud.

Ron Corrigan and Ken Buckley

Kenn and June decided to sell their Grocery Supermarket business in September this year, after a wonderful 40-year career working in their local food and grocery outlet and will now enjoy retirement and the next phase of their lives. Kenn will no doubt be further honing his golfing skills!