Retailer Torpedo7 to return to online-only sales by early 2026

Torpedo7 is to transition to online-only sales. Photo / Jaime Lyth

Torpedo7 is to return to being an online-only retailer by early next year, its owner says.

Tahua Group, which owns the licences for Starbucks, Burger King and Number One Shoes, bought Torpedo7 from The Warehouse Group in February 2024 for $1.

In March this year, it decided to close two Torpedo7 stores and convert 10 of the 16 remaining stores to a new retail offering called The Outlet.

Now, seven months later and 21 years since it first launched, Tahua Group managing director Roger Harper has confirmed it will transition all remaining Torpedo7 physical stores to The Outlet and move Torpedo7 to online-only by the end of February 2026.

“This is a decisive move – one that protects the business, grows our reach and sets us up for long-term success,” Harper said.

“We’re excited for what’s ahead – growing The Outlet and building a stronger, smarter Torpedo7 online.”

Harper said Tahua Group’s strategy was clear – focus investment where it delivers customer value and commercial return.

The Outlet launched earlier this year and will now expand as Torepdo7 moves fully online.

Torpedo7 stores will remain open through the 2025-2026 summer peak season, with a major clearance sale before the move.

From early 2026, stores will begin transitioning into The Outlet, while Torpedo7 will become a digital-only brand focused on premium outdoor products.

Tahua Group retail division chief executive Lesley Francis-Ziogas said the brand remains an important part of the group’s portfolio.

“By going digital-only, Torpedo7 can streamline, scale and grow profitably,” Francis-Ziogas said.

The business currently has six remaining “flagship” physical locations: Albany, Newmarket, Taupō, Christchurch, Queenstown and the Remarkables.

The move back to online-only for Torpedo7 is a return to its roots, with the business originally launching as an online retailer in 2004, founded by mountain bike enthusiast Luke Howard-Willis.

Then in 2013, The Warehouse Group purchased a 51% stake in the company for $33 million. The Warehouse acquired seven R&R Sport stores in December 2013 and rebranded them into Torpedo7, marking the brand’s first entry into physical stores.

By 2022, the brand had 24 stores across New Zealand. But after over a decade under The Warehouse Group’s ownership and the Covid pandemic, the business faltered and was unable to regain its previous success.

In The Warehouse Group’s FY24 financial results, the Torpedo7 business reported a $60.3m loss from discontinued operations in the year to July 2024.

The business earned $94.5m in sales over the period but made an operating loss of $13.1m.

Tom Raynel is a multimedia business journalist for the Herald, covering small business, retail and tourism.

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