June 9, 2026 — 4:50pm
A deal to rescue iconic retailer Barbeques Galore from administration has collapsed, with up to 500 jobs to go as the group synonymous with Australia’s barbecue culture prepares to shut its remaining company stores in the coming weeks.
The group’s receivers said creditors had backed an agreement to keep Barbeques Galore operating but failed to reach commercially acceptable terms with landlords and suppliers. The retailer fell into administration and receivership in February .
Barbeques Galore is expected to close after a plan to restructure the retailer failed. Nick Moir Barbeques Galore has a network of 89 stores, 62 of which are company-owned and will undergo a controlled wind-up process from June 16. The remaining 27 franchisee-owned stores are independently operated and will work through “transitional arrangements”.
Any rescue deal to keep Barbeques Galore out of a liquidation process was always conditional on negotiations between landlords and suppliers, said the company’s receivers, headed by Quentin Olde, in a statement.
While Barbeques Galore has been under receivership, suppliers have been paid upfront for stock. Under the proposed deal, suppliers were to move back to normal arrangements where stock was supplied on credit, but some suppliers wished to be paid earlier than the proposed terms, he added.
“Some Chinese suppliers were unable to agree to terms because they couldn’t get reinsured, and there were a couple of other suppliers that were refusing to go back to commercial terms,” Olde told this masthead.
The federal budget also led to a downturn in sales, he added. “There’s been a change in consumer sentiment, particularly around discretionary goods.”
The receivers said they will continue to trade the business and explore sale transactions for the remaining stores and assets, including its name.
Gift cards will continue to be honoured, but customers must spend $2 to redeem every $1. For example, a $50 gift card requires a customer to make a total purchase of $150, with $100 to be paid after the gift card is applied. Gift cards will not be redeemable after June 30.
Employees will be made redundant as the winding-up of its business takes effect. Staff will be paid all employee entitlements, benefits, redundancies and termination payments in full, Olde said.
Barbeques Galore advertisement. YouTube The group has been losing market share to rivals such as Harvey Norman and Bunnings, as well as online retailers, despite the market for barbecues growing strongly as Australians invest heavily in outdoor lifestyles.
Losses totalled more than $30 million over the past three financial years, while sales of its barbecues and heaters have stagnated in the $170 million range.
Quadrant Private Equity acquired Barbeques Galore in 2012 and extracted a dividend of $5.6 million as recently as 2024 despite ongoing losses.
In the retailer’s most recent accounts lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) in December, its auditors pointed to issues that “cast significant doubt on the ability of the group to continue as a going concern”.
This includes ongoing losses, the fact that current liabilities exceed current assets, and its precarious financing.
Gordon Brothers, a Boston-headquartered investor that specialises in distressed lending, bought out the Commonwealth Bank as the retailer’s secured lender in October last year, and acquired Quadrant’s equity stake for a nominal amount in December.
On January 22, newly appointed board member Mark Dewar contacted Grant Thornton’s Philip Campbell-Wilson about “potential insolvency concerns”, according to documents lodged with ASIC.
The Barbeques Galore board appointed administrators led by Campbell-Wilson on February 12.
Gordon Brothers called in receivers, led by Ankura’s Quentin Olde, the same day.
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Colin Kruger is a senior business reporter for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Connect via email .
Jessica Yun is a business reporter covering retail and food for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Connect via X or email .
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Read the full article at The Age →📄Source document: Statement from Barbeques Galore's receivers
3 reports
The AgeParty-alignedCenter12 days agoIconic Australian retailer Barbeques Galore is set to close its remaining company-owned stores following the collapse of a rescue deal. Up to 500 jobs could be lost as the company moves toward a controlled wind-up process. The failure to reach commercially acceptable terms with landlords and suppliers led to the breakdown of the restructuring plan. Suppliers were initially paid upfront during receivership, but some wanted to revert to credit-based arrangements, while certain Chinese suppliers could not agree to the proposed terms.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information about the closure of Barbeques Galore without overtly favoring any political perspective. It focuses on business operations, financial challenges, and contractual issues without using biased language or emphasizing political implications.
Official sources cited
- organisation Statement from Barbeques Galore's receivers
The Sydney Morning HeraldParty-alignedCenter12 days agoBarbeques Galore, an iconic Australian retailer, is set to close its remaining company-operated stores following the collapse of a rescue deal. Up to 500 jobs are at risk as the company moves toward a controlled wind-up process. The failure to reach commercially acceptable terms with landlords and suppliers led to the breakdown of the restructuring plan. Suppliers were initially paid upfront during receivership, but some sought earlier payments under the new arrangement.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information about the closure of Barbeques Galore without overtly favoring any political perspective. It focuses on business operations, financial challenges, and employment impacts, avoiding commentary or framing that would indicate a political bias.
Official sources cited
- organisation Statement from Barbeques Galore's receivers
ABC News (Australia)State / PublicCenter12 days agoBarbeques Galore, an Australian retail chain, has announced it will close its 62 company-owned stores and undergo a winding-up process. The company entered voluntary administration in February and was unable to secure a buyer or complete a recapitalization. Hundreds of employees face redundancy, though they will receive their accrued redundancies and termination payments. Gift card holders can redeem their cards until June 30 but must meet spending requirements, such as spending $2 for every $1 redeemed. After June 30, unredeemed gift cards will be treated as unsecured creditors.
Bias read (Center): The article provides a factual account of the business closure, including details about employee redundancies, administrative processes, and gift card terms. There is no evident ideological framing, loaded language, or selective sourcing that would indicate a political lean. The content focuses on a
Official sources cited
- organisation Statement from receivers regarding employee payments and gift card terms
Australia