Myer to close Sass & Bide stores as part of strategy to become more relevant to younger shoppers
Department store giant Myer will temporarily close Sass & Bide stores as it works on a major overhaul of the high-profile womenswear label, set to relaunch in the coming months.
Myer has owned Sass & Bide — founded nearly three decades ago by Sarah-Jane Clarke and Heidi Middleton — since 2011, when it paid more than $42 million to purchase a controlling stake before buying the remainder.
The department store chain has advised customers Sass & Bide boutiques at Claremont in Perth, Harbour Town on the Gold Coast and South Wharf in Melbourne will shut on January 31, while the 14 concession stands in Myer stores will close on January 26.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Customers will be able to make purchases online until the end of February.
Myer has been refreshing its product offerings after conceding it needed to broaden its appeal to young shoppers.
A Myer spokesman on Thursday said Sass & Bide’s reinvention would draw on its long heritage, while being relevant for a new generation of customers.
“It played an important role in the Australian fashion landscape, and we know it can do that again given the affection and following Sass & Bide maintains,” he said.
“Work has begun to determine how we will reimagine Sass & Bide, and we look forward to sharing plans for the brand’s relaunch in the coming months.”
More recently, Myer announced it would stock British fast-fashion giant Topshop across its 56 department stores nationwide and online from next month, marking its unexpected return to Australia after it collapsed.
Myer has already introduced 14 new brands such as Lioness, JAG and Sportscraft and from next month, it will launch its refreshed portfolio of fully-owned brands. This includes five dual-gender brands: BLAQ, ThereAfter, Basque, Regatta and Grab.
“We’re planning to introduce 20 new brands into Myer by the end of July, consisting of a mix of well-known Australian labels and popular international brands, including Topshop,” the Myer spokesman said on Thursday.
Sass & Bide, as well as Marcs and David Lawrence — also owned by Myer — are being removed from rival department store chain David Jones. All three labels will be completely removed from David Jones by the end of next month.
