Katies was once a staple of the Australian fashion industry but the brand will be lost to time as its remaining 80 stores are shut for good in January.
The closures are one lever being pulled in a delicate bid to stabilise parent company Mosaic Brands, which recently entered voluntary administration owing creditors almost $250m.
Launched in Australia in the mid-1950s, Katies was known for its range of stylish fashion offerings and grew to more than 150 stores nationwide.
However, experts say management had neither adapted to recent market conditions nor allowed it to stand out from other retailers within Mosaic’s stable.
“Mosaic Brands had overlapping brands targeting similar demographics, leading to internal competition and brand cannibalisation,” RMIT fashion industries expert Dr Carol Tan told 7NEWS.com.au.
“This has diluted customer loyalty and hindered individual brand growth.”
Tan said Katies had also failed to distinguish itself more broadly in the crowded fashion market.
“There are other mainstream competitors in the market which …