Fab Sydney Flashbacks: 2006: The end of Gowings

Monday, 16 February 2026

2006: The end of Gowings

Source: Gowings. 2006. "Closing Down Sale" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, January 16: 6.

This year (2026) marks 20 years since Department Store Gowings closed after 138 years of trading, leaving Sydney with just two major department stores: David Jones & Myer.

It may have been a distant third behind the two majors in Sydney Department store chains, but it wanted to keep competing and also offered Sydney shoppers something different.

Also, Gowings had outlasted many larger chains that either collapsed or were absorbed by competitors.

But what saw its end?

Back in 2000, the department store arm was listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) as Gowings Retail. In 2005, it was renamed as G Retail

In the years leading to its demise, it sought to expand into the suburbs for the first time, opening stores in Wynyard, Darlinghurst, Parramatta, Sydney Airport, and Hornsby. It was even planned to open stores interstate and turn it into a national chain.

The suburban expansion was unsuccessful, with the stores operating at a loss. Parramatta was of most concern, with millions lost and failing to accommodate the demographics of western Sydney.

In November 2005, an administrator was appointed to G Retail following reported losses of $13 million. The menswear chain Lowes had expressed serious interest in acquiring Gowings, but talks fell through. By December, administrators at Deloitte had decided to wind up the company, as no buyer could be found. On December 16, 2005, employees were notified that the stores would cease trading by the end of January 2006. The remaining stores were progressively closed, with the Market Street store closing on Sunday, January 29, 2006.190 employees lost their jobs as a consequence of the closure

Source: Brown, M. 2006. "Gone to Gowings no more". The Sydney Morning Herald, January 30: 3.

Following the store's closure, Gowing Bros sold the building to Amalgamated Holdings for $68.6 million.

Source: Stevens, J. 2006. "End of an era in store". The Daily Telegraph, January 28: 6.

Two decades later, the makeup chain Mecca occupies the space formerly occupied by the store. British fashion chain Topshop Topman replaced Gowings until its Australian stores stopped trading in 2020. Like Gowings, the Sydney CBD store was the last one to close. The rest of the building, along with the adjoining State Theatre, was converted for hotel use and now houses the QT Sydney hotel.

While the Department Store no longer exists, Gowing Bros (the company that ran the store) still operates as a fund investment company, and the famous Gowings signage along its George Street side remains and is heritage-listed.

On January 27 2006, I managed to take these pictures of Gowings in its final days. They may not have liked me taking the pictures, but they do make a historical record of what it was in its final days.