The clothing retailer has one store in the city, at Tamworth Shopping World, with customers reporting signs on the windows on Thursday and staff unable to exchange or refund items due to the receivership moves.

With its future operations in the city under a cloud, local mother Nicole Whiting said the store was popular with parents.

“It’s a bit sad, it is the only decent place in Tamworth to get good clothes – you can get the day-to-day stuff from anywhere, but this is somewhere to go for good quality,” she said.

The company appointed voluntary administrators after failing to reinvent itself in the face of shrinking sales and too much debt, Fairfax reported.

The retailer's board on Wednesday said it was committed to working with the administrators and receivers to get "the best possible outcome for the company and staff".