Voluntary administrator, Cameron Shaw from Hall Chadwick has confirmed that 76 employees and more than 550 customers have been affected by the voluntary administration of Western Australian retailer Kambo’s.
In an exclusive interview with Appliance Retailer, Shaw said of 76 employees affected, 15 of those staff chose voluntary redundancy.
As for the customers, there is good and bad news.
“The 500 affected customers who have paid for goods in full will be invited to collect their goods in a staged fashion, if the products are in the warehouse and have been clearly identified. This has commenced and is likely to take up to two weeks.
“Unfortunately, the 60 customers who have put goods onto lay-by are unsecured creditors and may not be able to recover their money. However, suppliers of those products may be able to assist these customers with replacement products on a case-by-case basis.
“There is also $14,000 worth of gift cards. While the business is under liquidation, it is not in a position to honour gift cards.”
Hall Chadwick has not provided its cause behind the voluntary administration, however, in a statement supplied to Appliance Retailer, owner, Peter Kambouris said the “tough retail climate” had taken its toll on the WA business.
“Two seasons of mild summers and late winters resulted in a significant decline in sales, and the general uncertainty by consumers are the main reasons for winding up the business,” the statement said.