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Beloved retail chain Off Ya Tree is closing down stores across Australia.
The store is known for selling alternative fashion, body piercings and bongs, with a legacy that dates back to the 1970s.
Several of the chain’s stores in Adelaide, New South Wales and Western Australia have closed their doors.
The recent closures mark the complete shutdown of physical stores in three states, leaving only 14 stores open across the ACT, the Northern Territory, Tasmania, and Queensland.
This includes Punktured piercing stores and The Bong Shop outlets, which are also part of the Off Ya Tree group.
An insider who worked for the Adelaide store said: ‘They’ve told us nothing, and I honestly doubt they will, but the store was losing massive amounts of money because we were just dead.’
‘The location meant there wasn’t much in the way of foot traffic and there wasn’t a whole lot of marketing, so we weren’t reaching new customers and you can’t pay the rent with nostalgia.
Off Ya Tree locations across the country are closing down
At its peak, Off Ya Tree had around 30 stores across Australia
‘Either way, the rest of the staff are now out of jobs – and most were casual, so they’ll get nothing.’
The retail chain has previously come under fire for stocking pipes, ‘stash tins’ and plastic ‘baggies’ commonly used by drug dealers.
Off Ya Tree founder Jim Kouts, originally started a music business, but pivoted towards bongs to entice a few more customers through the doors.
Off Ya Tree’s flagship Newtown location has closed down in recent weeks
‘The bongs were doing a lot better than the music side of things, and in the end, I gave up on the music and just pursued the bong side of the business,’ Kouts told media.
At its peak, Off Ya Tree had around 30 stores across Australia.
Kouts is still the significant shareholder of Thendro Pty Ltd, the company that holds ownership of Off Ya Tree along with other brands.
Off Ya Tree has been contacted for comment.
