The owners of the former Godfreys in Mount Barker have announced that they will not be shutting despite a national closure of the chain.
Last month the struggling vacuum cleaner company was placed in voluntary administration with 141 stores forced to shut shop and 600 jobs to be lost.
Franchisee owners of the store at the Adelaide Hills Homemaker Centre have issued a statement on social media saying their National Franchise agreement has been cancelled and they have been told their store is to be liquidated.
Instead of packing up and shutting, they are continuing to trade, temporarily as ‘Notfreys’ (or ‘Not Godfreys’), an independent vacuum and cleaning store.
“This has come about because the premium suit wearing big wigs at the top end of town are currently working through many complications on naming rights and have concluded within their executive meetings that they would send a nasty letter forbidding the immediate use of the name ‘Godfreys’ at the Mount Barker location – hence why we are temporarily referring to ourselves as “Not” Godfreys!,” the team said on Facebook.
“If the positive feedback we have received is anything to go by, ’Notfreys’ seems a humorous option that may stick in peoples minds with a link to our past.”
They plan to continue to honor customer service agreements with former customers and plan to significantly expand their commercial and janitorial supplies space.
