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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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
There is already places known as "Direct Factory Outlet" (DFO) in most capital cities. That style of retailing may be the answer.

By the way, its been over 20 years since I stepped inside a DFO.
 
It's a icon that has become redundant according to their in house business advisors. Going into a store and looking at the merchandise for sale has always suited myself. On line shopping deprives customers from noting the quantity of the products, accurate sizing as not every one had the petite Asian physique.. the European body is different and the on line shopping allows for errors by borth parties in the transaction and results potentially with disappointment and frustration. "Not Happy Jan" as per the old advertisement on tv from the past.
Plus on line shopping sets the customer up from being spammed and robbed... Isn't that the case that hackers currently have hacked a government department m. No... Cash is King and so it's not going to continue to happen the way the accountants in the business' want. As I see it the public are being bullied, manipulated and controlled in almost every aspect of life. Imo
 
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
We should not be blaming presiding governments for the demise. The writing was on the wall way before the decision in 2020. There are many contributing factors into the demise of the thousands of businesses either entering receivership, placing the public on notice or just closing completely. One major factor is the availability of on-line purchasing. On-Line means you only have to own or rent ONE premises as a warehouse / office. You also only need employees at ONE location. There are the exemptions to this, to the very large corporations such as Amazon, Costco, Ikea and the like, who have major warehouse branches strategically placed around Australia and elsewhere.
I can recall back in 1972, the high-flying playboy from Belfast, and aptly named Alister Norwood (A-Lister) opened a retail shop in Barrack St Perth, selling only denim jeans. JeansWest was born. The company went on to bigger and better things, whilst Alister kicked off another company called NoRegrets, which eventually folded.
 
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Reactions: Sherril54
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?!
West Australian business I found sizing wasn't good
 
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This closing of all the shops where you can actually go and try on good brands of clothes is so awful for those of us who do NOT want to shop online. It's said that it's AI causing this. Did you see Bill Gates statement saying that in a few years time AI will be doing all jobs and human beings will have nothing.
 
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Reactions: Sherril54
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?!
Same with Rivers
 
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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.
Typo belong to the same company as Cotton On, and they are doing ok (at the moment)
 
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Same with Rivers
Yes, and all the Mosaic brands,I think there will be a few more that will bite the dust. There was a tremendous mark up on all their clothing that we were purchasing I would have prefered to pay higher prices if they were made in Australia, but we were being ripped off by the brands that were making a big profit and still not benefiting the Australian economy. I feel very concerned about the employees who will be loosing their jobs.
 
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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???
Also, I was looking up Succesive Federal Goverments from 1996 and until 2025 and it goes like this:
1996 to 2007 LNP 11 yrs
2007 to 2013 Labour 7 yrs
2013 til 2022 LNP 9 yrs
2022 Labour 3 yrs so far.

So how has the Labour Government cause all this carnage LNP 20 yrs versus Labour 10 yrs.
 
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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.
Succesive Federal Goverments from 1996 and until 2025 and it goes like this:
1996 to 2007 LNP 11 yrs
2007 to 2013 Labour 7 yrs
2013 til 2022 LNP 9 yrs
2022 Labour 3 yrs so far.

So how has the Labour Government cause all this carnage LNP 20 yrs versus Labour 10 yrs.
 
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I was in a Lorna Jane store on Wednesday looking at prices and the country of manufacture of hoodies of comparable quality and style.

Lorna Jane - $120 made in China.

Kmart - $28 made in China.

Where would you shop? No wonder retailers who tout themselves as "upmarket" go "down the gurgler".
 
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So very sad to see Aussie jobs lost to imported cheap crap shopping! People should be ashamed of themselves, not leaving much of a future for following genrrations
 
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Also, I was looking up Succesive Federal Goverments from 1996 and until 2025 and it goes like this:
1996 to 2007 LNP 11 yrs
2007 to 2013 Labour 7 yrs
2013 til 2022 LNP 9 yrs
2022 Labour 3 yrs so far.

So how has the Labour Government cause all this carnage LNP 20 yrs versus Labour 10 yrs.
30,000 + businesses gone in 2023/2024 is a pretty bad record, especially when Labor are saying buy only Australian products, businesses can’t be viable when electricity, wages, rents are sky high.
So very sad to see Aussie jobs lost to imported cheap crap shopping! People should be ashamed of themselves, not leaving much of a future for following genrrations
I think the government should be ashamed forcing businesses overseas, it’s not viable for a business in Australia to succeed, sky high electricity, rents, wages, red tape, and also the cost of living that forces people to buy cheaper brands, while the government touts ‘buy Australian made products’ it does nothing to help businesses stay afloat here in Australia.
 
30,000 + businesses gone in 2023/2024 is a pretty bad record, especially when Labor are saying buy only Australian products, businesses can’t be viable when electricity, wages, rents are sky high.

I think the government should be ashamed forcing businesses overseas, it’s not viable for a business in Australia to succeed, sky high electricity, rents, wages, red tape, and also the cost of living that forces people to buy cheaper brands, while the government touts ‘buy Australian made products’ it does nothing to help businesses stay afloat here in Australia.
Which Government, they have all had a hand in it. And now not many products are being produced in Australia, both parties are NOW spruking "Buy Australian made" and will support Australian made products knowing full well that tthe damage has already been done.
 
I was in a Lorna Jane store on Wednesday looking at prices and the country of manufacture of hoodies of comparable quality and style.

Lorna Jane - $120 made in China.

Kmart - $28 made in China.

Where would you shop? No wonder retailers who tout themselves as "upmarket" go "down the gurgler".
Did you find a nice dress for yourself then 🤣
 
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Reactions: Veggiepatch

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