Iconic Hobart Marine Retailer: Established Chandlery in Prime Waterfront Location with 60+ Year History

Peter Johnston Ship Chandlers is a premier marine retail business that has been operating since 1964, securing a long-standing presence and unique brand equity within the industry.

Strategically located in the heart of Hobart's waterfront shopping and entertainment precinct, the business benefits from excellent visibility and consistent exposure to a high-traffic zone.

The business model caters to a dual-market clientele, supplying high-quality clothing, safety equipment, and general marine items to both recreational boaters and commercial buyers.

The enterprise has built a solid, loyal customer base and has achieved exceptional stability over its decades of operation.

Since purchasing the business in 2014, the current owner has driven substantial performance gains, resulting in a turnover increase of over 50%.

The owner is fully involved on-premises most of the time but also manages two other related businesses simultaneously, demonstrating a structured operational setup supported by an experienced, flexible team.

Key Highlights

• Trading History: Established industry icon operating continuously since 1964 (over 30 years in business).

• Location: Prime storefront in the heart of Hobart’s waterfront shopping and entertainment precinct.

• Financial Track Record: Highly stable turnover with an increase of over 50% since the business was purchased in 2014.

• Product Lines: Comprehensive retail inventory including clothing, safety equipment, and general marine items.

• Customer Base: Well-established and loyal mix of both recreational and commercial buyers.

• Sales Trends: Brick-and-mortar revenue is supported by steadily increasing online sales.

• Staff Structure: Operational framework consisting of 1 permanent part-time employee, 1 casual (3–4 days per week), 2 casuals as required, and 1 casual for bookkeeping.

• Trading Hours: Established hours operating Monday to Friday (8:30 AM–5:30 PM) and Saturday (9:00 AM–2:00 PM).

• Leasehold Rent: Commercial rent is $133,000 plus GST per annum.

• Financing Option: Highly attractive vendor financing is available to assist qualified buyers with the acquisition.

This scalable enterprise offers immediate, high-upside growth potential for an incoming owner.

While online channels are currently active and steadily growing, the webshop currently lists a limited number and type of products, presenting a huge expansion opportunity to aggressively scale digital sales.

A new operator can also capitalize on untapped revenue streams by placing an increased strategic focus on commercial accounts and expanding into corporate clothing opportunities.

The current owner is approaching retirement and is looking to scale back their activities, making this turnkey chandlery available to the market.

To ensure a successful handover, the vendor is offering up to one month of comprehensive training to the new owner or manager, covering all operational and day-to-day aspects of running the business.

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