Lincraft to Close All Stores in Australia and New Zealand, Shift to Online-Only Model

Retailer Lincraft has announced the closure of its store network across Australia and New Zealand.

The company is the latest to shift its business model entirely online.

It says this is a "sad day for our team members and customers alike".

Retailer Lincraft will close the remainder of its shopfronts after more than 80 years of providing fabric, materials and homewares to Aussie crafters.

The company is the latest to shift its business model entirely online as customer behaviours change.

About 300 staff will be affected by the move, with guarantees from Lincraft that all entitlements will be paid.

It comes after a prolonged period of challenging retail conditions, the company said in a statement announcing the move today.

Changing consumer behaviour, increased operating costs, and growing pressure from low-cost overseas competitors were listed as factors in the decision.

Lincraft has 28 stores still in operation, mostly across Australia's eastern states and territories, with plans to close the stores one by one over the coming months.

The company began as a market stall in Melbourne in 1938, before being taken over by current owners John Maguire and Brian Swersky as Lincraft Australia in 2005.

Mr Maguire said the decision to close the stores was a difficult one, particularly given the impact on existing staff.

"Lincraft has been part of Australian and New Zealand communities for generations,"

he said.

"A sad day for our team members and customers alike.

"Our priority is to support our team members through this transition and to communicate with them as clearly and respectfully as possible."

It is far from the only iconic Australian retailer to be affected by changing consumer appetites.

Last week, Barbeques Galore announced it was shuttering more than 60 physical shopfronts.

That company's 62 stores are due to begin closing up from today, with transitional arrangements underway for a remaining 27 franchise-owned stores.

The closures are expected to make 500 staff redundant.

In October 2024, Mosaic Brands Group — the company behind Millers, Noni B, Katies, Rivers and others — announced all its brands and stores would close by April 2025.

The group had 763 stores and employed about 3,000 people in Australia and New Zealand.

AAP