More than 350 Dick Smith stores in Australia and NZ to close, with 3000 staff to go
The receivers for troubled electronics retailer Dick Smith announced they will close more than 350 stores over the next two months.
The move will see closures in both Australia and New Zealand, with more than 3000 employees likely to lose their jobs.
Administrator Ferrier Hodgson said that despite a number of expressions of interest they were unable to find a suitable buyer.
Ferrier Hodgson partner, James Stewart, said: “The sale process has not resulted in any acceptable offers for the group as a whole or for Australia and New Zealand as standalone businesses. The offers were either significantly below liquidation values or highly conditional or both.
Last year I visited a Dick Smith store in desperate need to buy a product. I walked in and it immediately felt like I was transported to 1970. Not that I am against a retro feel – but it was obvious that the retailer has not invested – at all – in creating an in store experience for its customers. Worse than that was its staff. I waited for 10 mins while 2 kids / sales staff chatted about their respective weekends. They could not give a fig that a customer was in the store wanting to part with cold hard cash.
I walked out and bought my new camera online instead.
Then I see in today’s news headlines that Dick Smith is blaming the banks for its demise. Crikey – he only had to visit one of its stores as a customer to realise its demise was imminent.
Went in there today. Dont use the shelf prices, take things to the counter for the discounted price.