The future of two central Maitland businesses is unclear, after the company behind them announced a plan to close down hundreds of stores across Australia.
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Well-known brands and Maitland tenants Millers and Rivers are among the companies operated by retail giant Specialty Fashion Group.
The parent company announced in November a plan to slash 300 shops around Australia from their stable of about 1000 stores. The announcement comes as the fashion group struggled over the last year amid difficult conditions for the retail industry.
When contacted by Fairfax Media about whether the impacted shops would include Maitland’s two stores, a spokesperson said no decision had been made yet.
“Considerable and on-going work is underway to determine our specific plans in this regard, and to make sure we carefully consider customer and employee impacts,” the spokesperson said.
“We have no further information to provide at this time, except that we will communicate thoroughly when specific decisions are made.”
The spokesperson said cuts would be rolled out over the next three years.
The group also operates fashion chain Autograph, which shut down in Maitland earlier this year. The company declined to comment on the closure of the store.
