Tauranga Mad Butcher shuts down today after months of poor trading

The Tauranga Mad Butcher outlet will close its doors today for what could be the final time, unless an urgent buyer can be found before 5pm. Photo/George Novak

Tauranga Mad Butcher outlet will close its doors at 5pm today for what could be the final time.

After several months of poor trading and the opening of two further supermarkets in Tauranga, the owners of the budget meat outlet decided to put the store into liquidation.

They appointed Tauranga BDO as liquidators on Monday.

One of the liquidators, Tom Rodewald, said the company was discussing alternatives with a number of parties but unless an urgent buyer could be found the outlet would close at 5pm today.

"We are selling down the remaining stock and then we will be making a decision early next week as to its future," Mr Rodewald said.

The fourteen full-time and part-time staff had been told.

He said a number of interested parties had been in contact, some looking at keeping the store as a Mad Butcher outlet and others wanting the premises, which was leased by the franchisee.

Mr Rodewald said competition in the area had "heated up".

Tauranga Mad Butcher was situated on 11th Avenue, between Countdown and Pak'nSave.

In the past two months two new supermarkets opened in Tauranga - a Pak'nSave in Tauriko and a SuperValue in Pyes Pa.

"With two new supermarkets opening, everybody's jostling for the market share," Mr Rodewald said.

The Tauranga Mad Butcher branch has followed in the footsteps of at least 10 Mad Butcher stores to go into liquidation since 2012, including the original Mad Butcher store.

The original store in Mangere, which opened in 1971 and closed in July this year, owing hundreds of thousands of dollars to creditors.

Mr Rodewald said the Tauranga outlet had some debt, but "not a huge amount".

It was too early to say the exact amount but he could confirm the bank was owed nothing.

BDO was putting the figures together and a report would be filed with the Companies Office by next Tuesday.

The owners of the outlet could not be reached before this article went to print.

On the Bay of Plenty Times Facebook page people were upset to hear of the demise of the butchery.

Someone posted: "This is sad, the couple that own this branch are very hard-working and built it up to its success only to be shunned by consumers who'd unfortunately rather support a giant chain supermarket, best of luck."

"Noooo!!! We have been going there every Saturday for the last 3 years!! I'm so let down right now," read one post.