These days, shopping online has taken over. It's quick, convenient, and might only include a small delivery fee, which seems like a minor price to pay for the huge amount of time and energy saved from browsing for products in-store.

But despite the convenience, the online world that we're used to doing our shopping from isn't immune to the same economic changes that traditional stores do.

Case in point: the recent closure of Australian Made Clothes, one of the country's leading e-commerce stores and manufacturers of clothing and products made right in Australia.

The business confirmed via social media that they'd be permanently closing their doors this week in response to changing market factors. These include higher operational costs, rising competition from international retailers, and a general drop in consumer demand due to the pandemic.

Australian Made Clothes confirmed that the business would be closing its doors for good. Credit: Australian Made Clothes.

Owner and CEO James Bennett said that while it was a tough decision, he was grateful to their customers for all their support throughout the years.

'It has been an incredible journey, and we are immensely proud to have served as a platform for Australian Made Clothes,' said Bennett.

'We are grateful to our dedicated customers who have been with us on this journey. Thank you all so much.'

At the same time, Bennett asked customers to try and support other local retailers now that his business has sadly had to close its doors.

He also suggested that the closure was a lesson in just how quickly the online shopping world can change and the importance of quickly adapting to meet the market's demands.

The news also serves as a timely reminder that online retailers aren't immune to the effects of the larger economy. The pandemic has had a further effect on the global online landscape, and retailers of all kinds are feeling increased operating costs for businesses.

Still, Australian Made Clothes did the best they could for the time they were operating, with all online orders still expected to be fulfilled and delivered before the closure.

This news comes after it was reported earlier this year that the popular online furniture retailer Brosa was facing closure following its collapse into administration. This unfortunate outcome can be attributed to the enduring impact of the pandemic, leaving no room for the company to recover.

With liabilities totalling $24.2 million, including approximately $10 million worth of unfulfilled orders, and only $4.3 million in assets, the retailer's financial situation was dire.

Brosa's vision, as stated on the company's website, was to challenge the existing norms of the furniture industry and bring about positive change. The founders believed that premium furniture shouldn't necessarily come with a premium price tag.

They recognised that inflated prices often incorporated additional costs such as importers, wholesalers, and high-end stores. To counter this, Brosa adopted an in-house approach, eliminating intermediaries and establishing a dedicated team to manage the Brosa brand.

Founded in 2014, this Melbourne-based start-up quickly gained traction and employed over 60 individuals. However, despite their initial success, the company's inability to overcome the adverse circumstances has forced them into a difficult position, leading to their imminent closure.

Key Takeaways

• Australian online retailer Australian Made Clothes has collapsed, citing changing market dynamics, the pandemic, and increased international competition.
• Founder and CEO James Bennett expressed gratitude to a devoted customer base for supporting locally-made clothing.
• Despite the closure, Bennett encouraged customers to continue patronising other local retailers, highlighting their critical role in shaping the industry's future.
• The brand's closure follows other recent business collapses, including online furniture retailer Brosa and numerous construction companies across Australia.

We extend our sincere well wishes to Australian Made Clothes and other businesses that have unfortunately faced closure, particularly their staff

Members, we would like to hear your perspective on this matter. Are you aware of any other local establishments that have permanently shut down? Please take a moment to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

 

[Toni Wrinkles]

I have bought T/Shirts from them and the quality is fabulous, like T/Shirts used to be good quality material an terrific workmanship, sorry they are closing their doors. wish them nothing but good things in their futures.

 

[Suzanne rose]

I have bever heard of them , maybe they needed to promote more like other stores do eg Instagram, tiktok

 

[lonelyasacloud]

I have bever heard of them , maybe they needed to promote more like other stores do eg Instagram, tiktok

I have never heard of them either

 

[Jennylolo]

I have bever heard of them , maybe they needed to promote more like other stores do eg Instagram, tiktok

totally agree- first I have heard about them.

 

[Phantom55]

Australian workers are the highest paid workers in the world (and our products the dearest)and therefore we need higher wages and up go the prices so it is natural to eliminate labour type industries as wages prohibit making these products In Aust...many manufacturers are re locating overseas and employing locals they can import our products to Aust as shipping costs are cheaper than wages,unfortunately we are really exporting our jobs, and on and on it goes......

 

[Big M]

totally agree- first I have heard about them.

Not me!

 

[Peter M]

These days, shopping online has taken over. It's quick, convenient, and might only include a small delivery fee, which seems like a minor price to pay for the huge amount of time and energy saved from browsing for products in-store.

But despite the convenience, the online world that we're used to doing our shopping from isn't immune to the same economic changes that traditional stores do.

Case in point: the recent closure of Australian Made Clothes, one of the country's leading e-commerce stores and manufacturers of clothing and products made right in Australia.

The business confirmed via social media that they'd be permanently closing their doors this week in response to changing market factors. These include higher operational costs, rising competition from international retailers, and a general drop in consumer demand due to the pandemic.

View attachment 25005

Australian Made Clothes confirmed that the business would be closing its doors for good. Credit: Australian Made Clothes.

Owner and CEO James Bennett said that while it was a tough decision, he was grateful to their customers for all their support throughout the years.

'It has been an incredible journey, and we are immensely proud to have served as a platform for Australian Made Clothes,' said Bennett.

'We are grateful to our dedicated customers who have been with us on this journey. Thank you all so much.'

At the same time, Bennett asked customers to try and support other local retailers now that his business has sadly had to close its doors.

He also suggested that the closure was a lesson in just how quickly the online shopping world can change and the importance of quickly adapting to meet the market's demands.

The news also serves as a timely reminder that online retailers aren't immune to the effects of the larger economy. The pandemic has had a further effect on the global online landscape, and retailers of all kinds are feeling increased operating costs for businesses.

Still, Australian Made Clothes did the best they could for the time they were operating, with all online orders still expected to be fulfilled and delivered before the closure.

This news comes after it was reported earlier this year that the popular online furniture retailer Brosa was facing closure following its collapse into administration. This unfortunate outcome can be attributed to the enduring impact of the pandemic, leaving no room for the company to recover.

With liabilities totalling $24.2 million, including approximately $10 million worth of unfulfilled orders, and only $4.3 million in assets, the retailer's financial situation was dire.

Brosa's vision, as stated on the company's website, was to challenge the existing norms of the furniture industry and bring about positive change. The founders believed that premium furniture shouldn't necessarily come with a premium price tag.

They recognised that inflated prices often incorporated additional costs such as importers, wholesalers, and high-end stores. To counter this, Brosa adopted an in-house approach, eliminating intermediaries and establishing a dedicated team to manage the Brosa brand.

Founded in 2014, this Melbourne-based start-up quickly gained traction and employed over 60 individuals. However, despite their initial success, the company's inability to overcome the adverse circumstances has forced them into a difficult position, leading to their imminent closure.

Key Takeaways

• Australian online retailer Australian Made Clothes has collapsed, citing changing market dynamics, the pandemic, and increased international competition.
• Founder and CEO James Bennett expressed gratitude to a devoted customer base for supporting locally-made clothing.
• Despite the closure, Bennett encouraged customers to continue patronising other local retailers, highlighting their critical role in shaping the industry's future.
• The brand's closure follows other recent business collapses, including online furniture retailer Brosa and numerous construction companies across Australia.

We extend our sincere well wishes to Australian Made Clothes and other businesses that have unfortunately faced closure, particularly their staff

Members, we would like to hear your perspective on this matter. Are you aware of any other local establishments that have permanently shut down? Please take a moment to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

It is very sad they are closing down, I bought many T shirts and polos from them. They were always well made and lasted well..

 

[Loubeauxarts]

It is a sad fact that the majority of Australians don't have confidence in Australian Made products, even when competitively priced. I speak from experience here but more about that another time. State that the product is made in the US, Britain, Japan or Europe and people think 'Must be quality! The truth, sadly, is that regardless of where the product was made the components used are almost always from China, India or some third world country where labour is cheap. State that the product is made in China and people don't want to know about it, something of a paradox.
Australia has the know how and resources to manufacture almost everything it needs here but, due to the cost of labour, no longer does. Having spent a quarter of a century in retail from sales to management, I speak from experience.
BTW this is not intended as a judgement on Chinese made goods but, again from experience, even Chinese Australians won't buy Chinese made. That is fact.
Most Australian made goods today are from family businesses or cottage industries or artists. If we don't support them by buying Australian made then we risk, as has happened here, losing what little locally produced product that remains.
If you have read this far I apologise for rambling but I am passionate about supporting local business

 

[KSS]

It is a sad fact that the majority of Australians don't have confidence in Australian Made products, even when competitively priced. I speak from experience here but more about that another time. State that the product is made in the US, Britain, Japan or Europe and people think 'Must be quality! The truth, sadly, is that regardless of where the product was made the components used are almost always from China, India or some third world country where labour is cheap. State that the product is made in China and people don't want to know about it, something of a paradox.
Australia has the know how and resources to manufacture almost everything it needs here but, due to the cost of labour, no longer does. Having spent a quarter of a century in retail from sales to management, I speak from experience.
BTW this is not intended as a judgement on Chinese made goods but, again from experience, even Chinese Australians won't buy Chinese made. That is fact.
Most Australian made goods today are from family businesses or cottage industries or artists. If we don't support them by buying Australian made then we risk, as has happened here, losing what little locally produced product that remains.
If you have read this far I apologise for rambling but I am passionate about supporting local business

It's a bit hard to have confidence in something you have never heard of!

 

[KSS]

I have bever heard of them , maybe they needed to promote more like other stores do eg Instagram, tiktok

And for those with no Insta, Facebook or Tik Tok accounts?

 

[Suzanne rose]

And for those with no Insta, Facebook or Tik Tok accounts?

I'm guessing the big spenders have at least one of these accounts .
More people have have at least one of them those who don't . Some even have more than one.
I don't think I know anyone who doesn't have at least one. Even my mother has Facebook!

 

[Jennie]

totally agree- first I have heard about them.

Me either, very poor advertising it seems.

 

[KSS]

I'm guessing the big spenders have at least one of these accounts .
More people have have at least one of them those who don't . Some even have more than one.
I don't think I know anyone who doesn't have at least one. Even my mother has Facebook!

I don't!

 

[Suzanne rose]

I don't!

According to a survey of Australians aged 65 or older who spend time online, 97 percent of respondents reported in June 2020 that they had used Facebook in the last six months. 22 percent reported that they had used Instagram in that same time period.

 

[KSS]

According to a survey of Australians aged 65 or older who spend time online, 97 percent of respondents reported in June 2020 that they had used Facebook in the last six months. 22 percent reported that they had used Instagram in that same time period.

And not one of them was me!