FASHION chains are closing their Mildura stores but local businesses remain strong says one industry insider.
Mosaic Brands, which owns clothing brand like Noni B, Katies, Millers, and Rivers, began liquidation last month, leading to the closure of 252 stores nationwide, including all stores in Mildura.
Witchery is also shutting up shop in the region and many other locations around the country, with the brand’s parent company reporting a 6.2 per cent drop in sales over six months.
Mildura City Heart managing director Danielle Hobbs said it’s unfortunate that large-name brands will be leaving the region, but it is indicative of a worldwide issue with retailers rather than a Mildura-specific one.
“What makes me nervous is that as a regional centre, we’ll be the first to start losing the big chains so that cities can keep their footprints alive, and that’s certainly been clear with the Witchery decision,” she said.
“We’ve actually seen a change in the post-COVID online shopping trend where people aren’t going back into stores, particularly for fashion.
“It comes back to how the company is being run. Witchery is at the behest of a company which is run out of South Africa and that is entirely out of our community hands to have any influence on that at all.”
Ms Hobbs said she understood people’s concerns about seeing multiple stores close down around the region.
“What is frightening people is the big named businesses that are making choices about their core business, and we on the fridges are being impacted,” she said.
“They are making serious business decisions, and we happen to be one of them.”
Mildura City Heart measures trader movement in the region, and Ms Hobbs said despite the big-name brands jumping ship, locally owned businesses are tracking well.
“Recently, we’ve got two new businesses, two that have been operating outside of the precinct and have moved in and three that have rebranded or redeveloped into a new business,” she said.
“So it’s not like it’s all bad news, and all of these are locals.
“At a local level, we’re seeing the regular ins and outs of business and that is healthy.”
