By Claire Reilly

In less than 6 months, Retravision has shed 18 stores across the eastern seaboard, with 8 stores leaving the Retravision chain and 10 more closing shopfronts completely, according to an investigation by Current.com.au.

An audit of Retravision’s national website conducted by Current on 11 December 2011 showed 289 stores spread across Australia. As of today, 18 of those stores have been quietly removed from Retravision’s “Store Finder” listing.

BSR has found a windfall in Retra’s loss, with four stores in Bundaberg, Keperra, Virginia and Gympie (all in Queensland) leaving the Retravision Northern group over the last six months to rebrand as Betta Home Living or Betta Electrical stores. Retravision’s Capricorn Coast store in Queensland has also defected to the Chandler’s retail chain, which forms part of the BSR group, and there is speculation that yet more retailers in the Retravision Southern group could try to jump to the BSR boat.

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A handful of other former Retravision shopfronts have also left the embattled retail group. Mittagong Retravision has joined the Home Hardware chain, while Taylor’s Hardware (in the northern NSW region of Woodenbong) has joined Mitre 10. Paul Watson, owner of Watson’s Retravision in Chinchilla, Queensland, also left the Retra group to become an independent operator.

While some proprietors seem to have found better luck by joining different buying groups or striking out on their own, 10 stores in Queensland, Southern NSW, Victoria and Tasmania have been forced to shut up shop. Eight of these were part of the Retravision Southern group.

Bega Wykes Retravision in the South Coast amalgamated with the Retravision Tura Beach store, while Sugarcoast Electrical in Hervey Bay consolidated with Maryborough Retravision. Stores in Nerang, Queensland, and Glenorchy, Tasmania, have closed, while stores in the Victorian regions of Castlemaine, Cobram, Wendouree, Mornington, Mount Waverley and Richmond have also ceased trading.

While Retravision has stores spread across Australia, the retailer has lost 18 stores from its group in less than 6 months.