One of Australia's oldest footwear brands, Betts, will close 20 of its 35 remaining stores across the country after entering voluntary administration, leaving just 15 physical locations standing as the 134-year-old retailer bets its future on online sales.

The closures, which span every mainland state and the Northern Territory, were announced after an administrator was brought in to accelerate a business restructure. The move will leave more than half the current store network shuttered and affect hundreds of staff, including around 70 in-store roles in Western Australia alone.

Which Betts stores are closing?

The full list of stores confirmed for closure covers six states and territories:

  • Western Australia (7 stores): Hay Street Mall, Cockburn Gateway, Mandurah Forum, Watertown Brand Outlet West Perth, Perth Airport DFO, Whitford City, and one of two Joondalup locations
  • South Australia (3 stores): Westfield Tea Tree Plaza, Westfield West Lakes, Westfield Marion
  • Northern Territory (1 store): Casuarina Square
  • New South Wales (4 stores): Macquarie Centre North Ryde, Westfield Liverpool, Rouse Hill Town Centre, Westfield Kotara
  • Victoria (4 stores): Greensborough Plaza, Eastland Shopping Centre Ringwood, Westfield Doncaster, Westfield Fountain Gate
  • Queensland (1 store): Indooroopilly Shopping Centre

Western Australia is among the hardest hit, losing seven of its 11 remaining stores. The Whitford City and one Joondalup store are understood to be closing as early as this weekend. Perth locations at Booragoon, Carousel and Karrinyup will remain open, as will flagship stores in central Sydney and Melbourne.

Why Betts is restructuring

Lindsay Bainbridge of Pitcher Partners Melbourne, acting as administrator, pointed to a combination of factors that made the current store footprint unsustainable. A slump in consumer sentiment, elevated fuel prices and rising business costs have all weighed on performance, compounded by a long-term decline in shopping centre foot traffic.

"Australians grew up with Betts shoes, they know and love the brand, and we believe it has a strong outlook as a more streamlined operation," Bainbridge said. "But the retail conditions and falling foot traffic in a lot of centres just are not sustainable for the business."

The administrator confirmed the company would close underperforming locations, strengthen the surviving stores and push ahead with plans to grow its online retail presence. Some staff from closing stores are expected to be relocated within the business, though the exact number was not specified.

Founded by the Breckler brothers in Fremantle in 1892, Betts once operated as many as 220 stores at its peak. That figure has declined sharply over recent years as the broader shift toward e-commerce eroded foot traffic across the retail sector.

Stock clearance sales ahead

Shoppers looking for bargains have been urged to visit stores flagged for closure, where administrators say they will be running out remaining stock. More than 120,000 pairs of shoes, bags and accessories will be sold off as part of the wind-down process.

"Customers can check stock online, but the best deals will be in the stores flagged for closure, where we will be running out stock," Bainbridge said.

Part of a wider retail crunch

The Betts announcement is the latest in a string of high-profile retail collapses and contractions hitting Australia. In June alone, activewear label Tully Lou paused operations, fashion chain Glue closed its remaining stores and website after nearly 30 years, craft retailer Lincraft moved entirely online, and Barbeques Galore flagged the closure of dozens of stores nationally.

A retail marketing expert from Queensland University of Technology described the mid-year period as "the killing season" for Australian retailers, reflecting the mounting pressure on bricks-and-mortar businesses contending with weakened consumer spending and structural shifts in how Australians shop.