‘Dead and buried’ Rivers and Millers stores unlikely to be missed by regional Australians, analyst says

by Admin
November 1, 2024

Cilla Brady never buys clothes online.

At 70, the Central Victorian resident is something of a regular at the town’s Rivers outlet, and would hate to see the store close.

Ms Brady said there was something about trying on a shirt in person that trumped anything online shopping could offer.

“I like to feel the fabric and the more natural fibres,” she said.

But Ms Brady might have to reassess her options following the news the company that owns her local Rivers store, Mosiac Brands, has entered voluntary administration.

The company is also behind clothing brands like Millers, Katies and Noni B.

Some stores have been given a temporary reprieve until Christmas, but retail analyst Geoff Dart can’t see much of a future for stores in Mosaic’s stable.

“I think [they’re] dead and buried — I’d be surprised if someone tries to resurrect it,” Mr Dart said.

It comes after Mosaic announced it would shut down Rockmans, Autograph, Crossroads, W.Lane and BeMe in September.

A regional staple

Mosaic Brands’ retail brands are a staple in regional areas, with Rivers and Millers outlets among the most popular of its 786 stores.

The company’s most recent annual report revealed plans to shut down underperforming stores, replacing them with mega stores “in regional Australia in particular”.

In some areas, the company is already something of a behemoth.

Retail analyst Geoff Dart believes the future for stores like Rivers looks bleak. (AAP: Julian Smith)

The Murray River town of Echuca, for example, has one Mosaic brand store for every 5,000 residents.

But numbers like this have not been enough to keep the company from going under.

RMIT University fashion industries expert Carol Tan said Mosaics’ brands had failed due to an “inability to change”.

And Mr Dart said he didn’t think people in regional areas would notice the stores were gone.

“There are easier alternatives to find, even in Echcua,” he said

“Kmart is a flying along, and they’ve mopped up a lot of customers [after other store closures].”

Bargains to be missed

In the regional Victorian city of Sale, Rodney Gram runs an independent men’s clothing store.

He said he was unsurprised by the Mosaic’s liquidation, as retail stores were becoming increasingly expensive to run.

“We used to have a Katies next door, but they shut down a few weeks ago,” he said.

The shop space remains vacant.

An empty shop front on a street, with a "For Lease" sign in the window. — The site of the former Katies store in Sale sits empty after the store relocated in August. (ABC Gippsland: William Howard)

The potential loss of Mosaic stores is also being felt in regional NSW.

Standing outside her local shopping centre in the Illawarra city of Shellharbour, pensioner Pam O’Leary said she was sad and disappointed to hear Rivers may be no more.

“I need to watch what I spend … I think you get some very good bargains over there,” she said.

woman in a blue top middle aged standing out the front of a Rivers clothing store — Illawarra pensioner Pam O’Leary says she regularly finds bargains at her local Rivers store. (Brooke Chandler: ABC Illawarra)

Will they survive?

Mr Dart doesn’t think the future of Mosaic’s stores is bright, despite the brand recognition and loyalty among customers.

He said the company would be wise to focus their efforts in the coming months.

“I wouldn’t do anything with Millers, I’d just let that die on the vine, as I would with Rivers,” he said.

“Whatever money I did have, I’d put into Katies and Noni B over the Christmas period to maximise on sales there.”

Store closed on a public holiday for Autograph at the Bendigo Marketplace. — Autograph is another clothing chain owned by Mosaic Brands. (Sarah Lawrence: ABC Central Victoria. )

In Mosaic’s notice to the ASX, the company said it would continue to trade despite being in administration, and would focus on “the key Christmas and holiday trading period”.

Dr Tan was more optimistic, and said it was possible for Mosaic Brands stores to bounce back beyond that period.

“They need to re-evaluate their processes and better understand who their customer is,” she said.

Creditors will meet later this month to discuss the future of the company.