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THE employment futures for workers at Horsham's Millers, Katies and Noni B stores has become uncertain.
On Tuesday, parent company Mosaic Brands announced it plans to close up to 500 stores nationwide in the next two years.
In an announcement to the Australian Stock Exchange, the company reported a loss of $45.8 million in the last financial year.
It said this loss was driven by the summer bushfires, and nationwide store closures lasting nine and a half weeks when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit.
Millers, Katies and Noni B each have an outlet in Horsham Plaza.
A spokesman for Mosaic said there the exact locations and numbers of stores to be closed were yet to be determined.
"That is subject to discussions and negotiations with landlords," he said.
The spokesman also said nothing had been announced on how the company would help retrenched staff find new employment.
The Mail-Times has contacted each of the three Horsham stores for comment.
Currently around 41 per cent of store leases are on holdover or expiring by this December, with 87 per cent due to expire within two years.
Mosaic has 6000 employees across 1333 Australian stores. The annual deficit included a provision of $49 million for unpaid rent. Online sales grew by just 14.7 per cent year-on-year.
On Tuesday, the Australia Bureau of Statistics released figures showing over the month to August 8, payroll jobs fell by 2.8 per cent in Victoria. This period included the return to stage three restrictions in regional Victoria.
Head of Labour Statistics Bjorn Jarvis said: "Around 39 per cent of jobs lost in Victoria by mid-April had been regained by 27 June, but by early August this had reduced to 12 per cent."
Localised data is due later this week.
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