Sales volumes and consumer sentiment towards the collapsed fashion chain Jeanswest have encouraged the administrators as they look to the brand morphing into a pure-play online retailer. 

“We’ve seen huge spikes in foot traffic and online sales, which has been the best possible result as we get the business ready to be restructured as an online operation,” said Lindsay Bainbridge, one of the three administrators appointed by Jeanswest’s parent company last month. Bainbridge and colleagues, David Vasudevan and Andrew Yeo, are with Melbourne’s Pitcher Partners.

Bainbridge described customer response in-store and online as “remarkable”, with 184,000 customers visiting the 90-odd Jeanswest stores trading across the country. 

“There has been a huge outpouring of goodwill and interest in the news that Jeanswest will cease its Australian brick-and-mortar operation.”

More than 53,000 pairs of jeans have been sold among 160,000 stock units in the first week of the liquidation sale, with more stock in transit to stores during the coming weeks. The administrators seek to sell more than $20 million of stock to help meet liabilities. 

Pitcher Partners appointed experienced global asset experts Gordon Brothers to manage the stock liquidation sale process.

Founded in 1972, Jeanswest rose to prominence on its “fits best” promise. Before appointing voluntary administrators in 2020 with debts of around $50 million, it had 146 stores and employed nearly 1000 people.

The company is owned by Harbour Guidance, an Australian subsidiary of Hong Kong’s Harbour Guide Ltd, owned by Chun Fan Yeung and his family interests.