New Zealand unit of Topshop placed in receivership

The New Zealand arm of British fashion retailer Topshop said on Thursday that it had been placed in receivership, just two years after the brand arrived in the country.

Top Retail Limited, which owns the licence to operate Topshop in New Zealand, said in an emailed statement that its two stores would stay open until a final decision was made on their ownership.

Like its Australian counterpart, the chain has struggled amid increased competition and posted losses, its receiver firm McGrathNicol said in a statement.

As in many countries, New Zealand's retail sector has been hurt as consumers replace visits to brick-and-mortar stores with online shopping.

In neighbouring Australia, the chain had also suffered in the soft retail market and was placed under administration in May. Four Australian stores had managed to stay afloat after a restructure in which Britain's Arcadia Group Ltd bought back parts of Topshop from its Australian franchise.

Topshop opened its doors in New Zealand in 2015 to social media fanfare and long queues of people. It operates stores on the mainstreets of the capital, Wellington, and the country's largest city, Auckland.