Once a mecca for “pants and a nice top” for Baby Boomers, Katies will be no more. What happened?
Everyone has a Katies story. In the 1980s, you couldn’t visit a shopping centre in Australia without seeing one of its stores, where well-trained staff would sell affordable clothing in inclusive sizes to women mainly aged 40 and over., Mosaic Brands, that it would close the brand’s 80 stores, citing poor trading conditions, has left many Australians eulogising the one-time fashion icon, and nearly 500 people out of work.
“As women got older they introduced the elastic waist pant, longer shirts and beaded jumpers … all suitable for the ‘stylish grandmother set’ who thought all that glitters is gold. My mum would buy her whole wardrobe .”Fashion brands fail for many reasons, but in Katies’ case, it failed to evolve with changing shopping habits and tastes of its core customer, says retail consultant Martin Ginnane.
“The whole over-55 sector is alive and demanding, however, offering this sector tired and cheaply manufactured goods is no way to survive and flourish,” he says. “Katies was like an old massive battleship that could not be turned around under its captain.”Mosaic still owns the intellectual property for Katies, meaning a new owner could bring it back. However, Ginnane says any resurrection would require a serious look at Katies’ e-commerce strategy.
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Remembering Katies: From ‘all that glitters’ to retail relicOnce a mecca for “pants and a nice top” for Baby Boomers, Katies will be no more. What happened?
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Remembering Katies: From ‘all that glitters’ to retail relicOnce a mecca for “pants and a nice top” for Baby Boomers, Katies will be no more. What happened?
Read more »
Iconic fashion retailer Katies to be wound down, nearly 500 jobs to goAnother 80 Millers, Rivers and Noni B stores will also be shut in the move by Mosaic receivers.
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‘Not taken lightly’: All 80 Katies stores to close as Mosaic axes hundreds of jobsReceivers KPMG says all of the embattled fashion retailer’s Katies stores will shut, while dozens of stores across its Millers, Rivers and Noni B brands will also close by mid-January.
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‘Not taken lightly’: All 80 Katies stores to close as Mosaic axes hundreds of jobsReceivers KPMG says all of the embattled fashion retailer’s Katies stores will shut, while dozens of stores across its Millers, Rivers and Noni B brands will also close by mid-January.
Read more »
‘Not taken lightly’: All 80 Katies stores to close as Mosaic axes hundreds of jobsReceivers KPMG says all of the embattled fashion retailer’s Katies stores will shut, while dozens of stores across its Millers, Rivers and Noni B brands will also close by mid-January.
Read more »