A changing retail landscape as Modern Male Menswear closes
AFTER more than four decades of trading in the streets of Korumburra, Modern Male Menswear is preparing to close its doors for the final time as the latest casualty of a shifting retail landscape.
Owner Robert Buchan has been running the store since 2003 and says financial strain is the primary reason behind the closure.
“If I’m being honest, I’m just not making money anymore,” Mr Buchan said.
“I’ve been going backwards for quite a while now and working outside the business just to keep the doors open, hoping things would turn around.
“They haven’t.”
There have been several owners of Modern Male Menswear over the course of 45 years with Mr Buchan at the helm for the last 23.
He said the store is likely to continue trading until the end of March though an exact closing date is dependent on many factors including stock levels and the sale of the building.
The premises were recently put on the market following the death of the landlord.
“If everything goes to plan, we’ll be here until the end of March,” he said.
“But if I run out of stock earlier or the building sells and the new owner needs me out, then that’s when it will end.”
The closure comes amid a wave of retail shutdowns across Australia with national chains Rivers, Katies, Jeanswest and Country Road among those to close stores or collapse into administration since 2024.
Business insolvencies hit a record high of more than 11,000 in the 2023-24 financial year with regional retailers among the hardest hit.
Mr Buchan said the ripple effects of COVID, an increase in online shopping, rising interest rates and changing spending habits have all drastically altered the way people spend their money, particularly in regional towns.
“People are spending more on experiences and less on goods,” he said.
“Clothing has been hit hard.
“Weddings used to be a big part of my business and that all changed during COVID.
“People stopped dressing up, stopped buying suits and those patterns never really came back.”
He also pointed out the unfortunate reality that many of his longtime customers are simply no longer around and younger generations are shopping differently.
Despite the challenges Mr Buchan said he would always hold the Korumburra community close to his heart.
“It’s a fantastic little town. It’s the right size,” he said.
“Not so big that you lose that sense of identity and not so small that everyone’s in everyone’s pocket.
“It’s just changed. Retail has changed.”
Modern Male Menswear is currently holding a closing-down sale with all floor stock marked at 50 per cent off or more.
Items already reduced further will remain at their discounted prices.
Everything is for sale including store mannequins, racks and hangers.
“It’s everything on the racks while the doors are open,” Mr Buchan said.
“Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”
Mr Buchan said he is at peace with the decision and remains looking ahead.
He has been working in NDIS services for more than a year and plans to continue down that path.
“I’m not retiring,” he said.
“I’m just moving on to something else.
“Don’t feel sad for me. I’ve loved it, I’ve loved the town and I’m grateful for the support.”
While the closure marks the end of an era for Korumburra’s commercial strip, it reflects a pattern playing out in regional towns across the country.
The Australian Retailers Association has warned that small independent retailers face an increasingly difficult operating environment with rising rents, insurance costs and competition from online giants such as Amazon, Shein and Temu.
Amazon’s Australian sales alone are expected to reach $6.5 billion in 2025 according to Goldman Sachs estimates.
For Korumburra, the loss of Modern Male Menswear will leave another gap in the town’s commercial strip though the community continues to evolve along with every other rural town navigating shifting consumer habits and financial realities.
