Brent and Barb Dallison are the latest generation to run the family business in Waverley. Photo / Bevan Conley.
Brent and Barb Dallison are the latest generation to run the family business in Waverley. Photo / Bevan Conley.
A host of surprises are in store when you walk through the door of a Waverley retail institution - and one of them could be blokes stripping off to try on new trousers.
EC Dallison & Sons general store has been in business for 100 years and attracts locals andtravellers on Waverley's busy main street through its doors. Customers can get a taste of yesteryear and browse a vast array of stock in the historic store.
EC Dallison & Sons was established by Edwin Charles (Ted) Dallison in 1919 and is now run by his grandson Brent and Brent's wife Barb.
They are the latest in a line of family members who have been involved in the business. Brent's father Ross, and Ross' brothers Max and Cyril, joined Ted at the shop and then took over from him. Max moved on to run a clothing store in Kawerau and Cyril retired when Brent came into the business in 1974.
Barb has been working there for about 30 years, starting out part-time and then becoming full-time about 28 years ago.
The building has stood in Weraroa Rd since about 1890, Barb said.
J Muir & Son ran a drapery in the building before Ted Dallison bought it in 1919. It became a general store selling everything from haberdashery to toys to fireworks.
"There used to be an old house up the back and we were brought up in it," Brent said.
"This building has been changed around a bit but things are still much the same. We don't sell the toys or fireworks now though."
They have a computer now but the shop still retains some original items such as the safe, clock and cash registers. The attic holds lots of the shop's old paperwork and records.
The huge, high-ceilinged shop is decidedly chilly on a frosty winter's morning, despite the log burner pumping out heat near the centre where the office is located. It seems no coincidence that everywhere you look there are products for keeping you warm.
They are part of a huge range of items for sale, from footwear to clothing and accessories, furniture, carpet, sewing gear and much more.
Brent says 80 per cent of the shop's turnover is now in flooring, furniture and curtains, whereas in the past the biggest sellers were fabrics and clothing.
When Barb started working at EC Dallison they did a lot of fabric sales, with people sewing their own clothes. Now the focus is more on fabric for curtains and blinds, rather than clothing fabric, she said.
They provide services from New Plymouth through to Marton.
"The flooring side of it actually does more work in South Taranaki and Hawera than in Waverley," Brent said.
As well as Brent and Barb, there are three part-time shop staff and two full-time carpet contractors. They also have people who sew on a contract basis.
Asked about noteworthy happenings over the years, Brent and Barb say it's hard to remember - but they do have some interesting customers.
Brent gives the example of some of the shop's male customers who don't worry about the niceties of using the changing room and strip off in the shop to try on new trousers.
With daughter Amy now working as a lawyer in Canada, Brent says he will be the last generation of the Dallisons to run the store.
There are no big celebrations planned to mark the 100 years but the Dallisons will have a low-key event at the shop at Labour Weekend.
Image 1 of 14: The Weraroa Rd business started out as a drapery owned by J Muir & Sons.
