Famous Aussie fashion brand suddenly closes all physical stores. Why?

Aussies take pride in their homegrown brands and establishments.

However, recent trends showed a grim reality for proudly Australian products.

Such as the case of this fashion giant, which recently announced a massive update.


Fashion retailer Jeanswest has entered voluntary administration and will be closing all of its physical stores.

Jeanswest, a household name that has dressed generations of Aussies in denim and casual wear, has succumbed to the harsh reality of the retail apocalypse, along with other fashion brands.

The company has been a staple in Australian fashion for over half a century.


compressed-Jeanswest.jpeg
Jeanswest was founded in Perth back in the 1970s. Image Credit: Instagram/Jeanswest


However, Jeanswest has entered voluntary administration for the second time since 2020.

The decision to shut down its physical presence affected about 600 employees across 90 stores nationwide.

While the brand will continue to operate online, the closure of its stores marked the end of an era for the Aussie brand.


Jeanswest's parent company, Harbour Guidance Pty Ltd, appointed Pitcher Partners as joint administrators.

The team—composed of Lindsay Bainbridge, Andrew Yeo, and David Vasudevan—will take over and restructure the business.

This restructuring should be able to save what they can from Jeanswest and provide returns to its creditors.

Mr Bainbridge shared Jeanswest's situation and the efforts they made to revive the brand for over five years.

'The owners have done everything they can to keep Jeanswest going, but market conditions mean sustaining bricks-and-mortar stores is not viable and unlikely to improve,' Mr Bainbridge said.

'They deeply regret the impact of store closures on their team members and their customers, and we will be working now with teams across the country.'


The closure of Jeanswest's stores was a significant blow to the retail landscape and the workers behind it.

'This is a hard day for hundreds of Jeanswest team members, and we will be working directly with them to provide clarity and information about the next steps,' Mr Bainbridge shared.

Jeanswest's situation highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by traditional retailers in the digital age.

The rise of online shopping, along with changing consumer habits, created a storm that many retailers have been struggling to weather through.

Jeanswest will be putting out all store stock on sale, offering customers a chance to say goodbye to a brand that has been part of Australia's fashion fabric for decades.
Key Takeaways

  • Australian fashion retailer Jeanswest has entered voluntary administration and will be closing all physical stores.
  • The closure would affect 600 employees across 90 outlets nationwide. However, Jeanswest will still operate online.
  • Administrators from Pitcher Partners have been appointed to restructure the business.
  • The administrators plan to sell off the remaining store stock through a sale.
How do you feel about Jeanswest's situation? We invite you to share your thoughts and memories of Jeanswest. Let's talk about the evolving retail landscape in the comments section below.
 

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Thank the Labor government for all the businesses going bankrupt, it’s not viable to run a business in Australia, rent, wages, electricity, red tape , over 30,000 gone since Labor took office.. Labor has destroyed manufacturing and given Australians a trillion dollar debt.
 
Thank the Labor government for all the businesses going bankrupt, it’s not viable to run a business in Australia, rent, wages, electricity, red tape , over 30,000 gone since Labor took office.. Labor has destroyed manufacturing and given Australians a trillion dollar debt.
Jeanswest has entered voluntary administration for the second time since 2020 so the person to start the dominoes to tumble was Scott Morrison Leader of the Liberal/National Coalition as he was elected on 24 August 2018. Also with companies like Temu, Shein where you can get clothes for a 1/4 or less of the price doesn't help. So it is a decline that we have helped along too
 
Whilst I have never shopped at Jeanswest (I hate jeans & never wear them) this is all becoming a nightmare for those of us who only shop at bricks & mortar shops. I have never bought clothes over the internet. How do you know they fit or that they look good on you when you put them on? Looks like I'm soon going to be running around in my birthday suit as I won't be able to buy new clothes (is this why the king wore his "new clothes" in public)
 
Jeanswest has entered voluntary administration for the second time since 2020 so the person to start the dominoes to tumble was Scott Morrison Leader of the Liberal/National Coalition as he was elected on 24 August 2018. Also with companies like Temu, Shein where you can get clothes for a 1/4 or less of the price doesn't help. So it is a decline that we have helped along too
The clothes might cost 1/4 the price at Temu etc but they also last 1/4 of the time - just like has happened with Miller's clothes. I bought new slacks there last summer & they lasted only 3 washes before the seams came apart.
 
Thank the Labor government for all the businesses going bankrupt, it’s not viable to run a business in Australia, rent, wages, electricity, red tape , over 30,000 gone since Labor took office.. Labor has destroyed manufacturing and given Australians a trillion dollar debt.
It already went into receivership while Liberal was still in just like so many others so where is your argument there?
 
Jeans West, was originally an Australian business and in 2020 (LNP) was sold off to a to a Hong Kong Based Company: Multinational "Harbour Guidance Pty Ltd", most of their clothing was made in factories based in China. Their profits were originally high (slave labour) but because these items can be purchased online are much cheaper and come from the same type of factories as the Jeans West oulets in Australia and New Zealand, could not cope with the competition. The same situation applies to most clothing outlets based in Australia that are now going broke?!
 
Most of the shops closing down are out pricing what people can afford. They charge for nominal prices for things made in China, India and 3rd world countries that last just as long as kmart stuff and every season the must have expensive styles are no longer affordable. It's no wonder they are going broke.
 
I have always said these stores should all pitch in and buy a building like Bunnings and combine their businesses under 1 roof. They would own the building, so no extreme rent. It would be like a big market;, and if they like, people could go just for a day out
 
Whilst I have never shopped at Jeanswest (I hate jeans & never wear them) this is all becoming a nightmare for those of us who only shop at bricks & mortar shops. I have never bought clothes over the internet. How do you know they fit or that they look good on you when you put them on? Looks like I'm soon going to be running around in my birthday suit as I won't be able to buy new clothes (is this why the king wore his "new clothes" in public)
I buy from Motto or Vine apparel online, Motto have free returns and it’s a wonderful company, Vine apparel are great also, with all the scary things happening in shopping centres these days, I have chosen to buy on line, but these two companies mentioned have retail stores also.
 
Jeans West, was originally an Australian business and in 2020 (LNP) was sold off to a to a Hong Kong Based Company: Multinational "Harbour Guidance Pty Ltd", most of their clothing was made in factories based in China. Their profits were originally high (slave labour) but because these items can be purchased online are much cheaper and come from the same type of factories as the Jeans West oulets in Australia and New Zealand, could not cope with the competition. The same situation applies to most clothing outlets based in Australia that are now going broke?!
If it is owned by a Chinese Company guess where ALL the profits go - the same as one of the Electricity "providers"
 
Can't say l have shopped there since the old flares were about. Our jeans west is closing this week l think.
We also lost Typo. Hardly any stores in the centre anymore. The food hall all closed at 6.30 ish on Late night shopping Thursdays. Other stores all closing that time as well. Only supermarkets and Kmart open until closing at 9 pm I hadn't been late night shopping in years so l was a bit shocked.
 
The clothes might cost 1/4 the price at Temu etc but they also last 1/4 of the time - just like has happened with Miller's clothes. I bought new slacks there last summer & they lasted only 3 washes before the seams came apart.
Did you wash them in a creek with a rock. I have been wearing crop jeans from Millers for 2 and 3years in a row. Wash and rinse in washing machine and never hang in the sun or tumble dry.
 
I went past one of their shops yesterday in a local shopping centre and there was nobody in there buying anything. Although there weren't a lot of other fashion shops there with people buying anything either. 🙄

If people buy clothes that last then they have no need to keep going back to buy anything else for months or years.
 
Thank the Labor government for all the businesses going bankrupt, it’s not viable to run a business in Australia, rent, wages, electricity, red tape , over 30,000 gone since Labor took office.. Labor has destroyed manufacturing and given Australians a trillion dollar debt.
Rubbish!

Under the Menzies regime, shipbuilding in this country started to disappear. Whitegoods, passenger car and apparel manufacturing also went the way of the dodo under Gorton and McMahon.

Short memories???
 
I have always said these stores should all pitch in and buy a building like Bunnings and combine their businesses under 1 roof. They would own the building, so no extreme rent. It would be like a big market;, and if they like, people could go just for a day out
Wow that is a great idea but the only trouble with that is, where to have it, in what state/suburb/city or have a warehouse store in every major city
 
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