Cloth and Bale women’s clothing shop at Mount Barker shuts down

A clothing store that aims to make women “feel fabulous” has closed its physical shop, with the owners saying rising costs are just too much.

Rising costs are forcing a popular women’s clothing boutique to shut its Adelaide Hills brick-and-mortar shop in one of the first retail closures of 2025.

Sisters Tegan and Jessie Foster, who run the Cloth and Bale boutique in Mount Barker, announced the impending closure on social media on New Year’s Day, saying rising costs “made it impossible to keep our doors open”.

“We’re sad to announce that our physical store at 10 Gawler Street, Mount Barker, will be closing,” the store’s Facebook post said.

“Since 2020, it’s been an honour to be a part of this amazing community, first in Nairne then Mount Barker.

“Unfortunately, like many other small businesses, rising costs have made it impossible to keep our doors open.”

Cloth and Bale Country Boutique will close its Mount Barker storefront. Picture: Supplied

The owners said they were searching for a new storefront.

Tegan Foster told The Advertiser it was nearly impossible for businesses like theirs to survive in the current economy.

“Unfortunately we are closing our doors due to high rent, council rates, and other rising costs,” she said.

“Small businesses like ours are the heart of our community, but the current economy makes it nearly impossible for us to survive.

“The rising cost of living, combined with unsustainable overheads, is crushing small businesses like ours and many others who have recently closed too, and it feels like no one is stepping in to help.”

She said action was needed to support local businesses before more were forced to close.

Sisters Tegan and Jessie Foster run Cloth and Bale Country Boutique, a clothing and accessories store in Mount Barker. Picture: Supplied

Last September, Ms Foster said the store suffered a rise in shoplifting, taking to social media to plead with thieves to give her store a break.

Last year was a brutal time for SA businesses, with many shutting up shop or increasing prices to survive.

The sisters thanked their supporters on Facebook ahead of the closure.

“Our dream was to create a high-quality country boutique in which women felt comfortable, happy and could walk away feeling fabulous,” they said.

“Knowing we’ve achieved that means the world to us.”

The Mount Barker store will close its doors in February however it will continue to trade online as they search for a new premises.