The Sydney-based retail chain Barbeques Galore is set to close, with 62 company-owned stores and 27 franchise stores set to shut down. The closure will result in 500 job losses, with the fate of the franchise stores uncertain.
Funny when this first happened, first thing I wanted to do was talk to dadALF SAMMUT, BARBEQUES GALORE CO-OWNER: We were born into the business.
FIONA WILLAN: The Sammut brothers own two Barbeques Galore stores in Sydney’s southwest. RICK SAMMUT: 18 hours a day, 7 days a week – it was his life. All day every dayRICK SAMMUT: Probably ‘83/’84 maybe. FIONA WILLAN: In 1987, Tony reached his goal of turning Nino’s Barbeques into a Barbeques Galore franchise.
RICK SAMMUT: To be part of Barbeques Galore group was the big thing. Back then it was all about the name. ADVERTISEMENT: We’ve got BBQs galore at BBQs Galore... FIONA WILLAN: Now, nearly 50 years after the retail chain was launched most of its stores are about to close.
The retailer went into voluntary administration earlier this year and this week, a deal to rescue it fell through. ALF SAMMUT: I think they just overshot the mark taking on too much product, trying to get a share of some market that they don't belong in. Sixty-two are company owned and will start shutting down this month PROF. GARY MORTIMER, QUT FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND LAW: Well, I guess the bad news is 500 job losses. That's a challenge.
If you've got many of these businesses in regional centres, it makes it very, very difficult for workers to then find other work. FIONA WILLAN: The other 27 stores in the network are franchises – meaning they’re independently owned and operated. FIONA WILLAN: While the franchises can keep trading, their owners are now waiting to learn what the end of the Barbeques Galore group means for then.
GARY MORTIMER: They may continue to operate and be managed by the voluntary administrator under the existing brand or ultimately maybe they end up just being independent retailers. FIONA WILLAN: Some franchisees fear it will be even tougher to compete against big rivals such as Bunnings if they’re not part of a prominent retail chain GARY MORTIMER: Certainly there’s strength in numbers rather than trying to manage an individual business as an individual retailer selling barbeques and outdoor furniture.
FIONA WILLAN: Retail analyst Gary Mortimer says the problem isn’t isolated to the outdoor lifestyle sector GARY MORTIMER: We've seen a number of brands collapse in the last couple of years. You think about mosaic brands, Katies, Noni B, Millers, Rockmans, Rivers, big brands that have closed simply because of the challenges of running businesses today. DIANA MOUSINA, AMP DEPUTY CHIEF ECONOMIST: We've seen a deterioration in business confidence and conditions across the board in Australia.
Consumers are under more pressure in 2026 compared to this time a year ago basically because of the increases to energy prices, the rate hikes and also the broader elevated inflationary environment. ALF SAMMUT: The mere threat of interest rates going up, our business slows down and when they do go up, it slows down even more.
DIANA MOUSINA: It’s a fragile environment for retail basically because the economic conditions overall are still pretty tough and are likely going to get a little bit worse in the next few months. FIONA WILLAN: Alf and Rick say one of their stores is already struggling. In recent days, they’ve made a difficult decision.
RICK SAMMUT: With an increase in rent and decrease in sales we were strongly thinking about shutting it down and then with the announcement it is like well there’s no point trying to keep it open. ALF SAMMUT: It's sad. It's just sad. At the end of the day, we've been doing this for so long, it's sad.
Dozens of small businesses, many of them family owned, are contemplating their future after the collapse of an iconic Aussie brand, Barbeques Galore. After nearly 50 years in the market the company is closing its store doors but the future of dozens of its franchisees hangs in the balance. Fiona Willan reports.
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