Australian Fashion Labels to close BNKR Rundle Mall store in restructure, 15 jobs gone
Adelaide global company Australian Fashion Labels has been forced to close its flagship BNKR store in Rundle Mall and cut 15 jobs as part of a major restructure.
Confidential
Don't miss out on the headlines from Confidential. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Adelaide global company Australian Fashion Labels has been forced to close its flagship store in Rundle Mall and cut 15 jobs as part of a major restructure.
The BNKR store, which opened five years ago on the corner of the mall and Pulteney St, will finish trading at the end of the month when its lease expires.
The 15 employees who work there will not be offered other positions in the business, which has its headquarters on North Tce and a global staff of about 110.
Dean Flintoft, who founded AFL with his wife Melanie in 2007, said “changing consumer behaviour and increased costs” meant the store was “no longer viable”.
The company had been in talks with its bank Bendigo Bank who had been “fantastic”, he said.
“We are changing our business model and doing a bit of a review, the bank is helping us with that and working with us,” he said.
“From the bank’s point of view we’re profitable, but not profitable enough at the moment, but we are reviewing the model and making some changes.”
Mr Flintoft said while an outlet store at Harbour Town would remain open, AFL’s Los Angeles store would also close.
“We decided that bricks and mortar is not our core business going forward,” he said.
AFL will concentrate on its online business and wholesaling to more than 20 countries.
“Our fashionbunker.com is growing and doing well and that is the part of the business we want to focus on,” Mr Flintoft said. “Our business in SA in particular is very good and it is growing.”
Mr Flintoft said AFL expected to turn over $50 million this financial year, down from just over $52 million, as a result of the store closure.
New Adelaide Biennial curator
A new curator has been named for the 2022 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art exhibition, as attendance figures for this year’s event were released.
Big SA radio con finally aired
Adelaide radio listeners were duped by a Canadian conwoman’s false story about breast cancer, and raised $12,000 to help. Twelve years later, the full story has only just been revealed.LISTEN: THE CONWOMAN EXPLAINS WHY SHE DID IT