All Black star's shops $1.1m short

Photo / Norrie Montgomery

He rarely puts a foot wrong on the rugby field, but All Black star Dan Carter's failed fashion shop business owes creditors more than $1.16 million.

Thirty creditors are waiting while his Gas Clothing company is liquidated, and Carter will be among the first in line - as a secured creditor - to be repaid $210,000 that he sank into the venture from Carter Promotions Ltd, a company of which he is the sole director and shareholder.

Another secured creditor is former world superbike star Aaron Slight, who is owed an estimated $191,103. Neither Carter nor Slight could be reached for comment yesterday.

Gas Clothing sold high-end Italian clothing at outlets in Newmarket, Mt Maunganui, Wellington and Christchurch.

Carter was a co-director in Gas with Samuel Brooking and a joint shareholder with Mr Brooking and Lucy Brooking.

Tough times for retailing led initially to all stores but Wellington closing.

Retail manager Stephanie Bell said the liquidators tried to keep the Wellington store running while they negotiated with a potential buyer, but the sale did not go ahead and the final shop was shut also. She said the Newmarket location never really worked out.

Creditors owed an estimated total of $1,166,527 include the Inland Revenue Department, which is owed $66,196 in preferential claims. Trade suppliers are owed $571,677 and trade creditors $72,790.

Smaller companies owed money by Gas were reluctant to comment to the Herald when contacted yesterday.

Liquidator Ken Brown could not be contacted.

Newmarket Business Association chief executive Cameron Brewer said it would be unfair to blame the company's performance on Carter when Gas had been hit hard by the effects of the recession.

"Often with these ventures, timing is everything. And when I met some of his people in Wellington in early 2008 and convinced them to open Gas in Newmarket, things economically were going pretty well," Mr Brewer said.

"When you're selling top-end Italian clothing and the consumer is being told we are facing a recession potentially as bad as the Great Depression ... it was always going to be hard.

"I don't think the problems relate to Dan Carter's business acumen. We were very impressed with the dealings we had with Dan."

If Carter re-entered fashion retail, he would be better served by having his well-known name and face more closely aligned with the business, Mr Brewer said.

Last year, a chain of bargain furniture stores co-founded by All Black lock Ali Williams closed because of poor sales, and Carter, Williams and All Black captain Richie McCaw have been threatened with legal action over their bottled water business, Water For Everyone.