New Zealand kids shoe brand, Bobux, has gone under with McGrathNicol appointed as receivers earlier this month.
The business collapsed after dealing with pandemic-related supply chain issues, overstocking and a costly new IT system.
“This is a tragic outcome for our staff, suppliers and customers after putting our hearts and souls into the business for 30 years,” Chris Bennett told The Australian Financial Review.
“Our sincere hope is that a buyer can be found to take Bobux forward.”
The brand only recently celebrated its 30th birthday in 2021 after launching in 1991, when parents Chris and Colleen Bennett were looking for footwear for their baby daughter Chloe. When they struggled to find a perfect product, Chris created his first pair of soft sole shoes and Bobux was born.
The journey had not been without its challenges for the family-owned brand that has stores in 40 countries, said Chris at the time.
“The transition from retail stores to ecommerce as well as the digitisation and data driven by new business models have been quite the challenge,” he said.
McGrathNicol NZ’s partners Conor McElhinney and Andrew Grenfell will manage the sale of the business and for now, Bobux will continue trading as normal.
