Susanna Freymark
For the last time, Trish and Pete Cootes open the doors to their rural store at 8am and get ready for a day of business.
For more than nine years, the Cootes have been serving customers who “come in for everything” at the Tabulam Rural Store.
The store is open six days a week and has been a big part of their life. After today, Monday, August 19, they get to retire and spend more time on their farm by the river at Tabulam.
They’re going to miss the people who have come into the store, many of them have become lifelong friends, Trish said.
“We have an extremely loyal and varied customer base.”
Pete and Trish have been sharing how the business operates with the new owners who officially take over today.
Daniel Duff and his fiancé Kelly Hutchinson live 15 minutes out of Tenterfield.
“I was making deliveries to this area for North Coast Petroleum,” Dan said.
He was impressed by the sense of community and togetherness he saw in the community.
“This is a critical business to this area,” Dan said.
The nearest large rural store to Tabulam would be in Casino or Tenterfield.
Tabulam Rural Store stocks everything from feed, pet food, tools, seedlings, soil, pink shovels and all the bits and bobs customers might need to make repairs at their properties. The store sells fuel and fresh local eggs and honey.
The Tabulam Rural Store employs four people in a mix of full time and part time positions.
Dan encourages locals to come in and say G’day.
“I am approachable and will run a family style business,” he said.
Trish and Pete will be around for any questions Dan and Kelly might have.
“It would have been near impossible to do this changeover without the support of the vendors,” Dan said.
“They don’t realise how much they know.”
Trish laughs – after nine years there is a lot of detail to running any shop, and especially a rural shop.
Things like the shop being a drop-off for parcels because couriers won’t go off the highway.
It doesn’t make the shop any money, but they do it for the residents.
Dan said they will continue to offer that service.
Opening times remain the same too – Monday to Friday 8am–5pm and on Saturdays 8am–noon.
