40% of Yoobee stores closed yesterday

Yoobee has permanently closed four out of it's nine stores across New Zealand, with the move leaving around 15 staff without work.

A source close to TechDay says some staff were told yesterday was their last day at work, with the Apple retailer set to close stores in Albany, Britomart, Sylvia Park and Dunedin.

Britomart was a showcase store setup prior to Auckland's Rugby World Cup event, while Albany and Sylvia Park both resided inside shopping malls.

While exact details of the closure are scarce at present, the company has already updated the store location section of its website, suggesting the rumours are true.

Yoobee, which saw general manager Steve McLean leave the company in May this year, now have five stores open through out the country as a result.

Speaking with BusinessDesk, Retail CEO Doug Casement said "seven or eight jobs at the Newmarket and Christchurch stores will be available for staff to apply for, and if those positions are filled there will be about 14 or 15 redundancies.

"We're cautiously optimistic if we focus on customer service and full service, we expect it will turn," Casement told BusinessDesk.