Bay Pumpkin Patch staff lose their jobs

Pumpkin Patch stores at Bayfair and Fraser Cove are to be closed with 15 staff being let go. Photo/File.

More than a dozen Bay Pumpkin Patch staff have lost their jobs after the company's receivers were unable to find a new buyer for the clothing chain.

Nine staff at the Bayfair store and another six at Fraser Cove Shopping Centre were among about 1400 staff who would be let go, as the company moved to close its remaining 128 stores.

Earlier this month the company said it was closing seven stores in New Zealand and 27 in Australia. The clothing retailer is closing its doors after 26 years.

Receiver from KordaMentha, Brendon Gibson, said 15 staff working across the Bayfair and Fraser Cove stores had been made redundant, but the stores would continue to trade until at least the end of the year before being wound down.

Another six staff at the Rotorua store were also being let go, he said.

Mr Gibson said it was too early to say when individual stores would close, and some might trade through January and February depending on how long the stock lasted.

"All of the staff in retail stores will be paid their wages and other entitlements up to the statutory cap," he said.

Both Bayfair and Fraser Cove store managers declined to comment when approached by the Bay of Plenty Times, with one saying they were unable to do so.

Mr Gibson said Pumpkin Patch's head office was being restructured with 63 employees losing their jobs this week. Staff were paid wages and holiday pay but there would be no redundancy packages.

Receivers had tried to find someone willing to buy the business as a going concern but were unsuccessful in doing so, he said.

Mr Gibson said the liquidation process was likely to take until the end of February to be completed.

Gift vouchers would be honoured only while stock remained available, he said.

A brief history of Pumpkin Patch

1990 - Founded by Sally Synott with a mail order catalogue;

Due to demand, first retail store opens in Auckland.

1994 - Pumpkin Patch enters Australia as a mail order catalogue.

1997 - First Australian store opens.

2002 - First wholesale partner: Nordstrom USA.

2004 - Pumpkin Patch lists on NZ stock exchange;

First franchise partner stores: UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait & Oman.

2005 - First retail store opens in United States.

2006 - Franchise partner stores: Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia & South Africa.

2008 - Franchise partner stores: Russia & India.

2010 - Franchise partner stores: Jordan, Lebanon Thailand, China & Malta;

First retail store in Ireland.

2014 - Wholesale partnership: Amazon USA and Shop Direct, UK franchise partnership agreed for Indonesia, online concession arrangement with House of Fraser UK.