After 23 years, Cobbler John's familiar face will no longer seen in his Just A Minute Repairs shop on Conway Street, under the Post Office in the CBD.

Cobbler John (aka John Savage) has closed his shop doors and packed up what’s left of his customers’ shoes - and his key blanks.

He’s now working a reduced service key cutting and shoe repair operation from his home.

“I had to shut shop because the business and rent was unaffordable,” he said, “I’d like to come back later on, but not in the same place - I can’t afford the rent.”

John said a downturn in business since last year, with droughts, floods, fires, then finally Covid-19, were contributing factors to the decline in his business.

“It’s frustrating – I’ve been in town 34 years and the business was going ok, but after all of that and the Covid shut down, I just couldn’t afford to keep the shop open.

“I was sitting there in March with no business for six weeks and I eventually closed by April 30,” he said.

“If I’d have stayed there, I would have been paying dead rent to the landlord. Even if I went to the landlord and got the rent deferred, I’d still have to pay it sooner or later.

“It was crazy – I was struggling and the florist next door was going gang busters because people couldn’t see each other and wanted to send flowers.

“Then on Mother’s Day, she was turning work away because international flowers were not coming into the country.

“It’s a sign a of the times.”

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He blames part of the downturn in the shoe repair business on the fact that most shoes these days are not made to be repaired – just replaced.

Cobbler John has been working in Lismore since 1984, starting work with Mr Minit, then opening a shop in Lismore Centro, before moving to his Conway Street location.

He said he still cuts keys for the Post office and has always had a good reputation.

“Keys have always been a sideline to the shoe repairs and people always came to me because my keys worked,” he said.

At 63 years of age, he says he still has a few years to go before he can retire, but that he can’t afford to get sick from Covid-19.

“It’s always in the back of your mind,” he said. “During winter I’d always get the flu from my customers.

“This thing’s not over – we might have a year of recession or depression.”

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Regardless, Cobbler John is still looking for a more affordable shop and hopes to open in another location in the future.

Anyone looking to pick up their shoes that might still be with him for repair can call him on 0411 636 196.

You can also visit his website at http://www.cobblerjohns.com/