Gold Coast streetwear giant Culture Kings suspends online orders after fire destroys Brisbane warehouse

GOLD Coast streetwear giant Culture Kings has suspended online sales after its Brisbane warehouse was destroyed by fire.

American rapper Snoop Dogg at Culture Kings in Southport in 2011. Store owner Simon Beard sold $25 000 worth of merchandise to Snoop and his entourage. Picture: Supplied.

GOLD Coast streetwear giant Culture Kings has suspended online sales after its Brisbane warehouse was destroyed by fire.

The company’s 50m by 30m industrial warehouse in Beenleigh Rd, Acacia Ridge, was gutted by an intense fire on Sunday about 3pm.

A firefighter at the Culture Kings warehouse at Acacia Ridge after it was destroyed in a blaze on Sunday.

A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman said 12 fire crews and up to 35 firefighters took four hours to contain the blaze, which completely destroyed the warehouse.

Fire services are investigating the cause of the inferno.

Culture Kings co-owner Simon Beard at his Southport store. Picture: Kate Czerny.

Founded on the Gold Coast in 2008 by Simon and Tahnee Beard, the clothing retailer has carved an international reputation for its streetwear, including brands from all corners of the globe, live DJs and instore barber haircutting and VIP customers including Snoop Dogg, Chris Brown and A$AP Rocky.

In addition to its online business and retails outlets in Southport, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, the company recently signed a 15-year lease on a sixth boutique at Pacific Fair.

The flagship 850m sq store, which opened in time for Christmas, cost $2.5 million to fitout and boasts an indoor basketball court.

“We wanted to build the brand at Pacific Fair due to all the tourists that come in,” Mr Beard said.

“We wanted a big shop to create an experience for customers.”

Singer Chris Brown arrives at the Culture Kings store in Southport in 2012 with a security guard. Picture: Stephanie Bedo.

The Beards yesterday took to Facebook to share news of the warehouse fire with a post to customers.

“Today we were devastated by a fire at our main warehouse,” it read.

“We would just like to thank the emergency services crews who have been working all day and will continue to do so all night to help contain the fire. Although our online store will be closed for a short period while we regroup, all of our retail stores will continue to operate as normal. We see this as an opportunity to come back bigger and better than ever and continue to be the leader in streetwear #culturekings”

Team member Jacinta May with a Casio G Shock MT-G watch at the new Culture Kings store at Pacific Fair. Photo: Regi Varghese

In another post on its website, Culture Kings urged online customers waiting for orders to be patient.

“Due to a fire at our main warehouse, we are currently unable to accept online orders. If you have placed an order and have not yet received it, our customer service team will be in contact with you over the next few days. We thank you for your patience during this time,” the post said.

Business as usual: The Culture Kings store in Southport. Photo: Regi Varghese

Speaking at the Pacific Store on Boxing Day, Mr Beard told the Bulletin Culture Kings didn’t hold a typical Boxing Day sale.

“We don’t discount our product. The incentive today is the (Culture Kings branded) merchandise people will get when they spend a certain amount,” he said.

“We don’t sell any of our merchandise so this is the only opportunity for people to get their hands on hats, shirts and bags.

“They’ve become a bit like collectables, people have sold Culture Kings hats on eBay for up to $400.”