The Dandenong Hub Arcade’s Trendy Interiors store will draw its curtains in a bittersweet move after 35 years in the area.
Daughter and mother duo Carmen Jenner and Rosa Masip established their interior retail shop at a “scary time” after Dandenong Square (formerly Dandenong Plaza) was established in 1989, which many retailers say was the Hub’s downfall.
“When we bought it, it was a very big decision to buy this, because it (the Hub) was empty.
“This used to be the main shopping centre. If you weren’t local to Dandenong, you wouldn’t know there’s a shopping centre (Dandenong Plaza) there.
“They built a shopping centre and then as they do, they poached a lot of people from here and took a lot of the cream out of the Hub.
“So, we bought it at a scary time because it was like rock bottom.
“I don’t know what possessed me but I remember feeling sick that night in bed thinking, what have I done?”
The decision to buy came after years of renting, moving around to bazaars and stalls around Greater Dandenong and other areas.
During her time at Trendy Interiors, Ms Jenner got married, started a family, saw her three infants become adults, attended her mother Ms Masip’s funeral and will now bid Trendy Interiors goodbye.
“Everyone knows my mum – she was the matrix of the arcade.
“We lived together, we opened our business together, a lot of our clients know us as a family business.
“This is my work family, all the people here.
“I’d like to thank all these patrons for supporting our business, because they’re the foundation of the business.”
A huge people person, she will miss the daily interaction with her clients and work family, from whom she learnt a lot including many languages like Dari, different cuisines and cultures.
Her loyal customers are already missing her, asking who they’d turn to for a nice chat.
“There’s a lot of lonely people as well, and not that I can entertain it, but sometimes people like to share their problems.
“Besides that, it’s the support that they’ve given me through the years as well.”
The shop has now items reduced down to sell off as much stock as possible.
Whilst the store will close, Ms Jenner will continue the original business established 55 years ago by her mother, Made to Measure by appointment.
This will allow her the freedom to choose her work hours after more than 30 years of hard work and sweat.
“I go to people’s homes.
“I bring my iPad with a gallery of different window treatments, I measure, show samples, choose colours, provide a quote which includes installation, and they normally order whatever they want.”
Originally from Spain, the family is among many who have helped to shape Greater Dandenong’s diverse character, also meaning they’ve experienced demanding times and have first-hand seen the area evolve.
Most recently, the Hub has attracted ongoing anti-social behaviour with rough sleepers turning it into a hotel, housed in the fire hydrant exits even sometimes during the day and making the hallways their spot to sleep.
As previously reported by Star Journal, retailers have been up in arms as many had their shop glass smashed multiple times.
Trendy Interiors has also been broken into two years ago but none of this is the reason for its closure.
Ms Jenner says the drugs and troubles are everywhere, as has been the case in the past. What has changed is its frequency and intensity paired with a lack of police presence.
“It’s like a bank here. Every morning I’m trying to open up locks on the outside – just for bloody fabric, I mean seriously! But I’ve got to protect.
“Have there been fights here? Have there been overdoses? Absolutely.
“People have overdosed many times, but not recently.
“We’ve got Orange Door, we’ve got Headspace (upper floors), we’ve got all the services which are important, but it doesn’t bring the right sort of people.”
In future, Made to Measure will be available on digital platforms.
