The Anselmi family’s story begins in 1948 when Guiglielmo Anselmi, an Italian immigrant farmer, bought three King Country shoe stores.
His son, Tony Anselmi, learned the trade before establishing the Shoetown chain. Tony’s son, Shane, expanded the business further, after an unsuccessful foray on his own.
The group, renamed Merchant 1948 in 2012 when it expanded into Australia, has three well-known brands – Overland, Mi Piaci and Deuce.
Shane Anselmi owns 75% of the group while Tony holds the other 25% and sits on the board, with Shane and his wife Louise Reynolds. She is creative director and a buyer for the group.
It now has 50 stores including five in Melbourne.
Shane and his son Oscar also together own the brand, Collective Canvas, which makes sneakers from naturally grown and sustainably sourced materials.
Through another of the company’s store brands, Deuce, the Anselmi family has raised around $1.2 million to date for charity by donating $5 for every pair of sneakers sold at full price. The funds are raised through the family’s charity, Young Hearts Project, are spilt between Youthline, the Graeme Dingle Foundation and Great Potentials.
The family also has property, viticulture, forestry and farming interests, including a Waitomo-based dairy farm and Ngahinapouri-based goat farm. Photo: Stuff
2018: $70 million