• Case Studies

Forever Young: How A Vintage Institution Keeps Thriving After Forty Years

6 min. read18.07.2023
By Team Zeller

If you were wearing a vintage pair of Levi's in the early '80s, there's a strong chance they were sourced by Tina Lowe and Ross Waddington.

The founders of vintage clothing store, Route 66, were arguably the first to bring second hand American fashion to Australia. Forging a community of devotees not just through clothing, but through the musical subculture it serves, the couple has created a 40-year legacy that continues to thrive in Sydney's inner west. Today run by their son Leroi, Route 66 has no plans of slowing. We sat down with Tina and Leroi to talk about selling old school fashion in the age of technology.

From America’s heartland to Greville St, Prahran.

Route 66 started on the eponymous mother road that crosses North America, connecting the East to the West. Cruising through beautiful grasslands and sun-scorched landscapes, Tina and Ross spent six months in their Chevy station wagon chasing swap meets and collecting vintage treasures through America’s heartland. Back in Melbourne they opened their first shop on Greville Street, Prahran. Far from the clean, gentrified image the street exudes today, the run-down highstreet of 1983 boasted cheap rent and a community of musicians, artists, students and hippies: a market primed for their haul of anti-fashion.

Route 66 was one of the very first retailers to introduce Australians to classic vintage American fashion, and helped change the public’s view on used clothing, which until this point was exclusively available at the Salvos or St Vincent de Paul. “I wanted to get people to understand buying vintage clothing. Clothing that’s been imported and selected as opposed to opp shop clothing. So I made sure that everything was absolutely clean, presented on really good hangers, and displayed really well” Tina explains.

Ross’s passion for American roots music, from pre-war blues to '60s garage, drew in even more people, helping to make this iconic store much more than just another clothing outlet. “It gave us a point of difference, by creating a sub-culture around the music we played. So, it became really popular and that’s what we became renowned for. It was about sharing the things we loved.” says Tina.

The winning sartorial strategy.

Following the overwhelming success of the Melbourne store — Tina moved to Sydney five years later, in the summer of 1988, to open Route 66’s second store on the iconic Crown Street strip in Surry Hills. Tina says it’s here that things really took off, in large part thanks to the Sydney-based magazines that featured them, but also owing to Tina’s more strategic approach, “In Sydney I started buying and mixing in new clothing with the vintage so that customers could buy a complete outfit. Because what’s difficult with vintage is finding the right sizing, especially with jeans and pants.”

Well before the ‘buy better, buy less’ mantra entered the common vernacular, Tina was championing timeless fashion. “It’s always been about finding that classic item that you’ll love forever, it’s not disposable fashion. That’s why even with the new stuff I try to select items that still have a vintage, timeless feel, you know like Levi’s 501s. So, I guess that's always been my concept without even really thinking about it, I just did it instinctively.

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Retailing on the right side of history.

“I didn't think I was going to last this long” says Tina, “but now with this whole movement away from fast fashion, people are more aware. Buying vintage has become much more accepted and people actually feel better buying things that are not going to landfill.”

The growing environmental consciousness has led to a boom in the pre-loved clothing industry: a study by Reluv reported that about 75% of Australians purchased secondhand clothing last year. Yet even with this growing trend towards sustainable fashion, Tina knows they can’t rest on their laurels, “We still have to stay on top of a certain style, we can’t just sell any old second-hand clothes.”

At Route 66, each piece is hand-selected, cleaned and pressed, offering customers not only a collection of unique styles from eras gone by, but garments that have and continue to stand the test of time. “I love it when someone comes in and they've had their favourite jacket or pair of jeans for the last 10 years, I think that's fantastic” says Tina.

Old threads meet new technology.

Boasting the biggest supply of second hand 501 Levi’s in all of Sydney does indeed come with its difficulties. “With the dollar fluctuating all the time and shipping costs going up, that’s really very challenging. Not to mention rent and everything else that’s going up” explains Tina.

To combat rising prices and streamline their operations, Route 66 has been using Zeller Terminal since April 2022. “I'm so old school, I used to do everything on paper… But I’ve found Zeller has made taking money so much easier, and having a record of it. I can log in at any time to see how they're doing at work. Which is really fantastic, I couldn't do that before” explains Tina. Additionally, being able to track sales has allowed them to optimise their rostering, “We can see what days are the busiest during the week, and make comparisons... it’s really good to be able to check when it’s busy when you're not there” explains Leroi.

Having a system that can easily support refunds, work wirelessly, and provide additional branding also proves to be a boon for any business dealing in vintage wares, “if something breaks, I can refund someone and it’s very easy to do” says Leroi, “and it's great that it’s got a SIM card in it so I can go anywhere with it, which is very handy when we’re doing a market or an event. Plus having the logo on the receipt makes it a bit more individual.”

Route 66 Merchant using POS with Zeller Terminal

Invest local, think global.

When Ross passed away in 2011, it marked the end of Route 66’s presence in Melbourne. However his son Leroi has his sights set on reopening a second store in the brand’s founding city within the next few years. Until then, he is focusing on growing the online business and getting more people through the door in Newtown.

Following the legacy that helped build the brand’s profile in the '80s, Leroi has been organising music events and free shows in-store: an out-of-the-ordinary marketing tactic that’s paying dividends. “The council helps us out a bit with putting on live music and then we partner with Young Henrys and Heaps Normal to provide the drinks. It helps to build a bit more of a community vibe.” And it’s not the only way Route 66 is investing back into the community, they regularly donate gift vouchers at the local pub’s spin-the-wheel competition to further embed their brand name into the local culture.

In conjunction with an active Instagram presence, Route 66 has successfully built more than just a brand, it’s built a cultural institution, “We mostly get returning customers” says Leroi, “there are a lot of artists or musicians who hang around the area, and they’ll always pop in.” Paradoxically, by investing so heavily in their community and supporting the local arts scene they’ve garnered a loyal network of followers that extends much further than their postcode, “We get people coming in from Melbourne or interstate or even overseas… the Instagram presence makes a big difference."

Route 66 Merchant in front of store

For a business dealing in old school clothing, Route 66’s approach to retail is far from dated. Keeping their offering fresh and accessible, fostering a community and embracing new technology have kept the Waddington’s family business alive and thriving for over four decades. A winning combination that you might just say, is the road to success.

To read about other Australians growing their businesses with Zeller, head to the Zeller Business Blog and sign up to our newsletter to receive stories straight to your inbox.

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9 Questions to Ask When Buying an EFTPOS Terminal

Here's what you need to know about finding the right EFTPOS terminal. Searching for a next-gen EFTPOS machine that accepts modern payment methods, processes payments quickly, settle funds into your business account as fast as possible, and looks good on your countertop? Finding the right terminal for your business is important – you’ll rely on it for secure, fast cashless payments that keep your cash flow looking healthy. Some terminal providers will lock you into long contracts, with expensive termination fees, so knowing what to look out for is key. How much is it to have an EFTPOS machine? The EFTPOS machine you choose will depend on variables such as your budget, sales volumes, Point of Sale (POS) software, and fees associated with your merchant account. It costs $259 to own a Zeller Terminal outright. There are no hidden fees or charges, and no lock-in contracts. When you sign up for Zeller, you also receive a free Zeller Transaction Account (into which funds accepted via Zeller Terminal are settled nightly) and a free Zeller Debit Card — so you can pay suppliers and make business purchases with ease. Keep reading to discover the nine questions you should keep in mind when comparing EFTPOS terminals. 1. Do I understand the fees? Many business owners don’t realise they are agreeing to pay hidden fees, such as expensive terminal fees, until it’s too late. Sign the dotted line and you could be agreeing to pay a lot more than anticipated for your EFTPOS machine — and lock-in contracts usually come with hefty fees for early cancellation. Otherwise cautious business owners fall victim to hidden EFTPOS terminal fees time and time again. However, these fees are required by law to be disclosed somewhere – you just need to know where to look. Make sure to go through the terms and conditions with a fine-tooth comb; never solely rely on a verbal quote. If you’re already using an EFTPOS machine, check your merchant statement as this will tell you the processing fees and other fees you’re currently paying. It’s also important to remember that, in most cases, if you decide to rent your EFTPOS terminal you won’t own it at the end of the payment period. You’re simply paying for the privilege of using it, and will be left empty-handed when the contract ends. Although renting may look like an affordable option at first, it’s a tactic designed to get business owners to pay far more than what the terminal is actually worth. Zeller Terminal is yours to own for one low payment of $259. There’s no lock-in contract or hidden fees; we know you’ll keep using your Zeller Terminal because you love it, not because you have to. Learn more about Zeller Terminal and whether it’s the right solution for your business. 2. Will it be easy to use? Taking payment is usually the last interaction a member of your staff has with a customer. However, time wasted teaching staff the intricacies of a confusing system is time that could be better spent on other parts of the business. The ease with which staff process a payment affects the customer experience at every business. Your EFTPOS payments terminal needs to be easy for all staff to use, with minimal training. This is especially important if you run a retail store that hires casual staff during peak holiday and sales periods, or in another business that regularly hires new workers. When shopping for an EFTPOS terminal, consider whether it has been designed by a team that understands your business. Are the prompts straightforward? Is the user flow intuitive? Your terminal should feel natural and simple to use. If it is, your staff will save time with every transaction – and you’ll save time training them how to use it. 3. Can I customise it to suit my business? Some EFTPOS payment terminal providers will force your business to work their way. This is related to the point above: if you choose a provider who understands your business, you’ll likely find there’s no need to change your internal workflows. An EFTPOS terminal should fit the way you want your business to work. When selecting a terminal provider, consider how well it fits with your established processes. For example, you might want the ability to: restrict the ability to provide a customer with a refund to a small pool of staff, such as managers charge your customers a surcharge enable tipping customise your receipts Choose a provider that gives you the power to customise the way you accept and manage your payments and you’ll save yourself from needing to retrofit your processes to fit the tool. 4. What happens if my internet cuts out? Your business needs to be able to continue processing cashless payments even during periods of internet outage. You don’t want to have to send your customers to the closest ATM, or have them scrambling for cash. Occasionally, small periods of service downtime will be unavoidable. Your internet provider might be down for routine maintenance or there may be a power cut to your area, or another technological issue may impact how your EFTPOS terminal connects to the internet. However, any period of downtime has the potential to negatively affect your business — the impacted customer may never return. That’s why, when you choose Zeller Terminal, you have the option to switch to another network. If you’re experiencing issues with your Wi-Fi provider, it’s simple to connect via 3G to another network and continue processing payments using your SIM card. 5. How often will I need to charge it? These days, many businesses are run on the go — so a mobile EFTPOS terminal is a must. Cafes and restaurants that take payment from the table depend upon a long-lasting battery to get through the day. For a retail store, a long-lasting battery provides the flexibility to take payments from wherever is convenient for the customer. For mobile services such as trades and beauty technicians, having the ability to take payment on the go saves you the hassle of returning to your computer, sending an invoice, then following up until payment is finalised. It’s essential that the EFTPOS terminal you choose has enough battery life to give you peace of mind that you’ll never miss out on crucial transactions. 6. How fast can I put my funds to work? Depending on which payment services provider you choose to use, you could access your funds the same day you earn them – or you could be waiting upwards of three business days. The speed of settlement can have a big impact on your cash flow. Choose a provider that’s slow to settle, and you may find yourself in the frustrating situation of needing a business loan to tide you over until your funds are released. When you use your Zeller Terminal in combination with your free Zeller Transaction Account , you’ll get same-day settlement for your funds so you can spend using your Zeller Debit Card . Or, if you want to use your existing business bank account , your funds will settle the next business day. 7. Is there setup and ongoing support? Painful setup, hard-to-follow instructions, and uncontactable customer service representatives are headaches you simply don’t need. Some EFTPOS terminal providers are intuitive enough to use out of the box, whereas others come with a booklet of instructions you’ll need to follow. Or, you may be asked to book a technician to manage the setup on-site. Once you’re up and running, having multiple ways to ask for help – whenever you need it — is important. If your business operates in the evening and on weekends, look for a provider that offers extended support hours. If something goes wrong and you need answers fast, you need to feel confident that someone will pick up the phone on the other end. 8. Will it protect my business? Fraud is a risk for businesses of any size. Recurring chargeback fraud , in particular, can be costly for a business. When considering any financial services provider, it’s important to check whether it's backed by a team of security experts. You’re trusting this business to handle your money. Zeller’s Support team monitors transactions round the clock — 24 hours, 7 days a week — to prevent fraud before it happens. Backed up by intelligent machine monitoring, our team works to identify and respond to fraudulent attacks in real-time. 9. How soon can I get it? If you’re ready to start selling your products or services now, choosing an EFTPOS terminal that takes weeks to be delivered is an unnecessary setback. Why eat into valuable time you could be turning a profit? Ideally, your EFTPOS terminal will be available for delivery quickly. Even if you’re not ready to start accepting payments at your business, getting your EFTPOS payment terminal as soon as possible will give you extra time to get up to speed with its features and options for customisation. We offer fast, free shipping anywhere in Australia, for all Zeller purchases. Sign up for Zeller in minutes. Zeller Terminal and accessories can be purchased online from the Zeller Shop with free express shipping and same-day dispatch. Once you’ve considered these 9 questions, you should have a good idea of the non-negotiables you need from your EFTPOS terminal provider. Remember to always read the fine print and understand what you’re really paying for when you sign the dotted line.

How Zeller solved Decoy Cafe‘s Downtime Issues

Since making the switch to Zeller, Decoy Cafe has resolved its biggest frustration. Coffee is a family affair for the Spathis’. Brothers Bill and Chris have been perfecting the art of brewing for more than 30 years, ever since their first summer holiday job working in the family’s coffee lounge. These days, the coffee connoisseurs can be found on Melbourne’s busy Exhibition Street. Every morning, Bill fires up the roaster and Chris gets to work preparing the kitchen for the busy day ahead. The smell of fresh coffee wafts out into the street, welcoming Decoy’s loyal customers in for their morning cup. But Decoy had a persistent problem. Their EFTPOS terminal, provided by one of the big four banks, would frequently drop out during rush hour — forcing them to rely on an I-owe-you honesty system. We sat down with Bill to understand more about the Melbourne coffee scene, what makes Decoy unique, and how Zeller is helping business run as normal. How did you get started in the coffee business? We’ve always been involved in coffee, it’s in our blood. As kids, we didn’t get school holidays. We would jump on a train and head for the city, to dad’s coffee lounge. We’d arrive early in the morning and help dad take orders, serve customers and make coffees. Then, when my brother and I went to Sydney for a period in the early 90s, we continued the family legacy. We established and ran Retro Cafe for about 15 years, which was next door to Sydney’s State Theatre. It became a bit of an institution. We hadn’t started roasting our own coffee yet, though. Eventually, we came back to Melbourne and landed in Flinders Lane. This is when the cafe scene became very competitive — you had to do something different to stand out from the crowd. So, we decided to roast our own coffee. It’s difficult to roast beans in the middle of the CBD, due to council restrictions, so we ended up finding the site at 303 Exhibition Street. We’ve been roasting here for 14 years now. What’s changed in the three decades since? Back in the 70s, people ordered their coffee so hot it was sacrilegious — but that’s the way most people liked it. There was also far less diversity. At one stage, most people were buying coffee from the supermarket. People are more discerning now. Most are buying their coffees from local roasters. Single origins are our specialty, and we do it well. We roast single origins from Colombia, Costa Rica, Brazil, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Kenya, El Salvador, and beyond. All our beans are roasted in small batches, which helps us to make sure every roast highlights the beans’ unique characteristics and gives more consistency within each batch. The cafe industry has changed dramatically from the 70s to now, and it’s still constantly changing. You’ve got to keep up, whether that’s with a new offering like beans, better service, great staff, or new equipment. Last year, we renovated the cafe and installed a Modbar under-counter coffee machine for a streamlined coffee service. We also recently upgraded our EFTPOS terminals to Zeller. What made you decide to switch EFTPOS terminal providers? We were with one of the big four banks, and we were very unhappy with the number of dropouts. Our EFTPOS terminal would stop processing transactions at peak periods. Our upstairs area would be packed with diners eating breakfast, while downstairs would be busy with takeaway coffee orders and there would be a queue out the door. But the terminals would go down, so none of the customers could pay — they’re not carrying cash these days. We’ve built up a strong customer base. About 95% of our customers are regulars. So, when the terminals were down, we’d take a customer's name and they’d come back the next day to pay us. We don’t have any of those issues with Zeller, so I’m happy to say we don’t need to do that anymore. Our terminal has 4G and WiFi. If the 4G network goes down, WiFi takes over — business continues, as normal. "Taking payment from a customer is simple, as it should be." How did the outbreak of the pandemic affect the business? It's been tough, I won't deny it. We have a great product and a loyal customer base and that's allowed us to keep going. The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns impacted sales, as we lost all our corporate customers when offices emptied out in Melbourne's CBD. What's kept us going is essential workers and tradespeople from nearby building sites and an increase in the number of  “home barista” customers — people buying their coffee beans from us to make their own coffee, while working from home. Tell us about working with family. We believe that being a family business has helped us succeed and stay resilient even in these challenging times. Chris and l have worked together from the very beginning, starting in our late father’s restaurant as young boys. We work well as a team and I think it’s part of what makes Decoy a success. A lot of cafe owners these days will hire a manager, but we’re owner-operators, and there’s always one of us here. We do that because we really love working with customers. We give 100% when it comes to quality, service and staff. Chris and I share those values. We rely on each other. Decoy Cafe is located at 303 Exhibition Street, in Melbourne's Central Business District. Drop by for your morning coffee, a quick snack, or lunch, or pick up a bag of fresh coffee roasted on-site (also available on the newly-launched Dark Horse Coffee Roasters website).

Discover Your Favourite Business Tools on Zeller Partner Hub

Fine-tune your operations by connecting Zeller to your favourite business tools. Payments are at the heart of every business. Zeller Terminal is the first tool you will need to get your business off the ground and start transacting. Funds accepted from customers are settled into your free Zeller Transaction Account nightly, and available for spending via your Zeller Mastercard the very next day. Once your business gains momentum, it’s highly likely you will begin using more tools — such as bookkeeping and invoicing tools, website services, and more. Zeller is designed to scale with your business, which is why we have released integrations with hundreds of powerful business tools — including Australian point-of-sale systems Impos, Redcat, OrderMate and Erply, plus a long list of others that are currently live or in testing. These integrations live on the new Zeller Partner Hub — a place to discover all the tools you need to support your growing business across categories including: Buy Now Pay Later Accounting Ecommerce and CMS Scheduling and Employee Management Point-of-Sale Systems and more. Meet Zeller Partner Hub Watch the video below to discover how Zeller Partner Hub works. Integrations enable independent business tools, applications and services to work together. By integrating your favourite tools with Zeller, you reduce double data handling, automate key tasks to save time, and reduce the potential for error. Business data is pushed from one system to another, with no need for human intervention. With the right integrations powering your business, your operations will be faster, more efficient and better connected. However, finding the best tools and applications for your business is no easy feat. There are many options for businesses with different needs — from small businesses to franchises, across every industry. What’s more, there are a variety of factors to consider — from usability to pricing. Start fine-tuning your business systems by searching for your preferred point-of-sale system on Zeller Partner Hub, and contact us about getting set up with integrated EFTPOS. We've also included some of our favourite tools for small businesses. If we don't currently integrate with a tool you use, let us know by voting on the tool’s page on Zeller Partner Hub. How to be featured on Zeller Partner Hub Our partner ecosystem is continuously growing to bring even more value to Zeller merchants through seamless integrations with business software and tools. By integrating with Zeller and being listed on Zeller Partner Hub, you have the opportunity to connect with thousands of Zeller merchants Australia-wide. Submit an enquiry to join the Zeller Partner Program , and we'll be in touch. Ready to connect Zeller with your favourite tools? Discover Zeller Partner Hub

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