Family jeweller opens Warrnambool store after chance meeting with agent
Duffs Jewellers opened its fifth store in Warrnambool after the owner met a real estate agent by chance.
Sam Duff first visited Warrnambool when Thomas Jewellers closed. A decade later, he bumped into real estate agent John Ryan in a car park.
The chance meeting led to opening the new Liebig Street store on Thursday. The space became available when Country Road moved to the T&G Building.
Duffs, started by great-grandfather Frank Duff in 1927 as a small giftware store in St Arnaud, has grown into a multi-location business. The company expanded to Geelong in the 1950s and now operates stores in Geelong and Ballarat alongside this new Warrnambool location.
The store brings jewellery design, repair, and restoration services to the region alongside diamonds and watches. Jo O'Rourke came from Duffs' Geelong store to help launch the new branch.
The opening marks a milestone as the family business approaches its centenary.
- 1927
- Founded
- Five: Geelong, Ballarat, Warrnambool
- Store locations
- Frank Duff
- Founder
Why it mattersA century-old family business reaches new customers by moving into regional towns, strengthening local retail communities.
AustraliaWarrnambool residents no longer need to travel to Geelong or Ballarat for full-service jewellery; local retail gains a historic business with strong regional roots.
