By Corey Everitt
Godfreys has said goodbye to Pakenham with the store being one of the first go in a staggered closure that will see the almost century-old vacuum cleaner franchise close for good.
For the past few weeks Godfreys on Purton Road were emptying their shelves with all stock half-price in their closing down sale, seeing many locals flock to the store on its last days.
By the afternoon of Friday 12 April, the store was almost entirely empty with staff packing the last few items where they were sent to the branch in Dandenong.
Despite the end, the staff were chipper in the final hours, cracking jokes as they were soon to move on to different jobs.
Godfreys became one of the biggest vacuum cleaner retailers in the world after its establishment in 1931 by Godfrey Cohen.
In January 2024, the company entered voluntary administration citing increased competition and a drop in demand from cost-of-living pressures.
54 stores were closed and 193 staff were cut after restructuring from appointed administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC).
A new buyer for the company was sought, unfortunately PWC determined that no offer was sufficiently viable to take on the company.
In March, PWC confirmed all 141 stores across Australia and New Zealand will be closed resulting in the loss of over 600 jobs.
Godfreys Pakenham closed last week in a staggered approach which will see all stores closed by the end of May.
All leftover stock from Pakenham was moved to Godfreys Dandenong.
