Nationwide shoe retailer Betts is the latest household name to strike trouble, announcing on Thursday it has gone into voluntary administration.

The company, which was founded in Western Australia more than 130 years ago, had 35 shops across the country.

It will close 20 – including seven of its 11 in WA – as it attempts to move to an online-only business.

“Australians grew up with Betts shoes. They know and love the brand, and we believe it has a strong outlook as a more streamlined operation,” administrator Lindsay Bainbridge from Pitcher Partners said.

“But the retail conditions and falling foot traffic in a lot of centres just are not sustainable for the business. We will close some stores, focus on strengthening others, and continue the company’s plans to expand retail online.”

At its peak, Betts had 220 stores in Australia. It has cut those back to 35 in recent years, reflecting a shift to online shopping and in response to declining foot traffic.

That will shrink to 15 under its latest plan, with more closures in NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Flagship shops in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth are expected to remain open.

The stores marked for closure will begin with heavy discounts starting at 50 per cent across the full range of women’s shoes, bags and accessories.

Upwards of 120,000 pairs of shoes, bags and accessories will go on sale, Bainbridge said.

He said staff had been informed. Efforts would be made to support workers in shops that were closing, including moving some to other stores.

“Our goal is to make sure we can drive sales and revive interest in a brand that has been part of almost every Australian’s story,” Bainbridge said.

The Betts announcement comes just two weeks after the final collapse of outdoor retailer BBQs Galore, with the loss of hundreds of jobs.

It also follows the announcement that craft retailer Lincraft would close all of its physical stores in Australia and New Zealand to focus on online operations.

Also last month, fashion retailer Glue closed all of its stores permanently after posting an $8.4 million loss in its latest half-year financial results.

The retail casualties joined fashion brands Rivers and Jeanswest, which closed their doors in 2025.

-with AAP