THE Sea Lake Shared Shop is set to celebrate its 10th anniversary.
Local resident and business owner Karen Bacon was the brainchild behind the shared-shop concept.
It came at a time when many rural towns were faced with a growing number of empty shopfronts.
With the help of Buloke Shire Council and Advance Sea Lake, it took a little over six months to transform the empty shopfront into a vibrant business.
Ms Bacon said the shop has seen tremendous growth in the past decade.
It started with six small business owners banding together, operating under the one roof and sharing all expenses. The shop now featured 12 traders.
Ms Bacon said the success of the shop could be attributed to the hard-working traders and their unique selection of products.
Featuring homemade sauces, preserves, knitted garments, honey, garden ornaments, jewellery and books, a rotating roster ensures each proprietor takes a turn at manning the store, which is open seven days a week.
Having survived COVID-19 lockdowns and times of uncertainty for many small business owners, Ms Bacon said it was nice to be surrounded and supported by a group of like-minded individuals.
Retired farmer and author Tom Elliott was one of the first to sign up to the shared-shop concept.
“I didn’t like the idea of an empty shop in the main street,” he said.
“I said I’d give it a go for six months, and 10 years later, I’m still here.”
Showcasing his uniquely crafted wooden products and his book The Way It Was, a memoir on life growing up the Mallee, Mr Elliott has enjoyed being a part of the concept.
With proceeds from his book going to Cancer Council research, Mr Elliott has donated more than $12,000 to the cause.
Ms Bacon said many success stories had emerged and the initiative was gaining momentum within other towns and other states.
Rural Business and Community is in the process of establishing a trail of six shared shops within the local region, and the Donald Shared Shop officially opened its doors earlier this month.
Ms Bacon said she looked forward to celebrating many more milestones at the Sea Lake store, noting the 10th anniversary would be marked with a cake and gift voucher draw.
“I love this shop,” Ms Bacon said.
“It’s my baby and I’m so proud of it.”
The celebrations will take place at the Sea Lake Shared Shop from noon on Sunday.
