| Godfreys Group Limited | |
| Type: | Private |
| Area Served: | Australia, New Zealand |
| Founder: | Godfrey Cohen |
| Defunct: | 20 March 2024 |
| Fate: | Voluntary Administration, owned stores halved then closed and franchises let go, website sold |
| Location City: | Melbourne, Victoria |
| Location Country: | Australia |
| Industry: | Floorcare and cleaning |
| Key People: | John Johnston |
| Num Employees: | 600 |
| Num Employees Year: | 2024 |
Godfreys was an Australian retailer in the domestic and commercial floorcare and cleaning industry, headquartered in Melbourne. Founded by Godfrey Cohen in 1931, at its peak it had more than 220 company and franchise-owned stores combined across Australia and New Zealand.[1] [2]
Godfrey Cohen started the business in 1931 after buying 30 vacuum cleaners from auctions in the newspaper and putting them up for sale in his family's furniture store at a time when vacuum cleaners were typically only sold by door-to-door salesmen.[2] [3] It wasn't long before businessman John Johnston came across Godfrey Cohen's business, and the two quickly became business partners over a simple handshake, opening the first Godfreys store at the Prahran Market in Melbourne and forming a partnership that lasted for over 70 years. Over this period, the business rapidly expanded within Australia as demand from customers increased after World War II, and the product range grew from solely bagged vacuum cleaners to include steam mops, carpet shampooers, robotic vacuums, handstick vacuums, wet & dry vacuums, handheld vacuums, hard floor cleaners, garment steamers, backpack vacuums, floor polishers, carpet blowers, bagless vacuums, cleaning consumables and more including a range of anti-allergy, asthma and pet hair vacuum cleaners recognised by the National Asthma Council Australia as Sensitive Choice approved.
Godfrey Cohen died in 2004, and Godfreys was sold to private equity companies Pacific Equity Partners and CCMP Capital Asia for $350 million in 2006.[4] [5] The company was relisted on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) in 2014, but it was subsequently delisted from the ASX in July 2018 after Cohen's original business partner John Johnston, whose family remained involved with the business by owning 28% of the shares in the company, proposed a private takeover.[6] Johnston died soon after the successful takeover; he was 100 years old.[7]
On 30 January 2024 Godfreys was placed into voluntary administration, appointing PwC as administrators after being "hit by conditions beyond our control, including the weakness in discretionary spending by consumers, which has had an ongoing and significant impact on sales".[8]
Godfreys Group announced on 20 March 2024 that it will commence "a progressive wind-down of operations" in Australia and New Zealand after administrators were unable to find a new buyer.[9] In a statement, administrators said that "after conducting a comprehensive process to identify a purchaser for the business" there were "no viable offers to take the business forward".[10] Stores were be progressively closed until 31 May, and franchised stores were able to operate until 31 March.
Surviving franchised stores began changing their name soon after.
Before being placed into voluntary administration, in January 2024 Godfreys consisted of a combination of 141 company and franchise stores in Australia and New Zealand.[2] [11] Together with their retail stores, Godfreys also operates multiple service and repair centres across the two countries.[12]
The administrators went on to initially close half of all stores in an attempt to resurrect the company, followed by all owned stores after also dismantling the franchise.
Godfreys held the licence to distribute Hoover-branded vacuum cleaners in Australia and New Zealand. In addition to the Hoover brand, Godfreys also owns the exclusive distribution rights to Wertheim, Vorwerk floorcare range, Pullman, and Sauber cleaning products.
Godfreys also supplied Nilfisk, Vax, Miele, Electrolux, Bissell, Black & Decker, Numatic and more cleaning machines for the domestic and commercial cleaning market.
Godfreys provided customers, both online and in store, with alternative payment options from Humm (since April 2019),[13] Afterpay[14] and Openpay[15] to bring more affordability to customers in the floorcare market.
Godfreys obtained greater brand awareness in Australia and New Zealand during the 1990s through many years of similar television advertisements featuring then-chief executive John Hardy, one which famously saw Hardy demonstrate the suction power of a vacuum by picking up a bowling ball.[2] [16] [17]
The company has won the following awards: