Jeanswest to shutter 37 stores as hundreds of workers face redundancy

Collapsed denim retailer Jeanswest will shutter 37 of its 146 stores as administrators for the company look to steady the ship ahead of a hopeful sale.

Peter Gothard and James Steward of KPMG announced the closures on Thursday afternoon, just over a week after the business fell into voluntary administration.

A total 263 employees will be made redundant under the downsizing plans, subject to redeployment in other parts of the network.

Jeanswest employed 988 workers at the time of its collapse, spread across the country, with the majority in Victoria and NSW.

“The decision to proactively restructure the business early in the administration process has not been taken lightly,” Stewart said in a statement circulated Thursday.

“We are very mindful of the serious impact store closures and staff redundancies have on people’s lives.

“However, we must also work to maximize the opportunity for this business to be sold or restructured ⁠— to give it the best chance to continue.”

Administrators offered no update on the sale process or whether any offers had been made for the business yet.

The 37 store closures are just the latest to hit the troubled retail sector in recent weeks, following downsizing announcements at collapsed chains Bardot and Harris Scarfe earlier this year.

Meanwhile, others such as EB Games and Bose are also closing stores to reposition their businesses in the face of declining in-store sales.

Yesterday Schwarz Group, the fourth-largest retailer in the world, pulled the plug on the $500 million expansion of its supermarket brand Kaufland in Australia.

Jeanswest stores to close

Blacktown Store NSW
Burleigh Store QLD
Carousel Store WA
Castle Plaza Store SA
Castle Towers Store NSW
Castletown Store QLD
Centrepoint Store WA
Charlestown Store NSW
Chermside Store QLD
Doncaster Store VIC
Earlville Store QLD
East Gardens Store NSW
Eastlands Store VIC
Echuca Store VIC
Forest Hill Store VIC
Hobart City Store TAS
Karingal Store VIC
Karrinyup Store WA
Kotara Store NSW
Lismore Store QLD
Macarthur Store NSW
Mandurah Store WA
Marion (New) SA
Maroochydore Store QLD
Mirabooka Store WA
Miranda Store NSW
Myer Centre Store QLD
Rockingham Store WA
Rosebud Store VIC
Shell Harbour Store NSW
Singleton Store NSW
Southland Store VIC
The District Docklands VIC
Tweed City Store NSW
Watergardens Store VIC
West Lakes Store SA
Wetherill Park Store NSW

NOW READ: National retailer Jeanswest collapses into administration

NOW READ: “Bland land”: Aussie department store Harris Scarfe falls into receivership