Barbeques Galore, a struggling Australian retailer, is set to close more than 60 stores across the country after a rescue effort fails to be agreed. Multiple outlets report that the company cannot secure a proposed deal intended to keep the business operating, including arrangements involving suppliers. As a result, store closures are expected to occur within weeks.
The reporting also indicates that the closures will lead to job losses, with sources describing “hundreds” of roles at risk as stores shut down. While the outlets differ slightly in emphasis—some focusing on the number of locations affected and others on employment impacts—they consistently describe the same sequence of events: the retailer faces financial difficulties, a rescue deal is pursued, the deal does not go through, and the company moves toward winding down its store footprint.
No outlet in the provided accounts cites an alternative buyer or a replacement rescue plan. The immediate news is the closure timetable and the effect on customers’ access to stores and on employees’ job security.
