Aussie Farmers Direct franchisees set up crowdfunding campaign after “pretty shattering” collapse

The daughter of a couple who invested their life savings in Aussie Farmers Direct franchises has helped them launch a crowdfunding campaign to support their financial situation after the collapse of the grocery delivery operator hit the couple hard.

Brianna Roberts launched a YouCaring campaign this week after her parents, Heather and Geoff Roberts, received the call on Monday morning that Aussie Farmers Direct would be closing.

Aussie Farmers Direct told its 100 franchisees that it would immediately cease operations after administrators at KordaMentha were appointed to the company.

In a statement, administrator Craig Shepard said previous attempts to sell or recapitalise the business were unsuccessful, leaving no choice but to end grocery deliveries immediately.

The impact of this decision on the Roberts family is huge, says Brianna Roberts.

“This is a huge blow for my parents, who had expected this business would sustain them, and my younger brother, who has special needs, into their retirement,” she writes on the campaign’s page.

Heather Roberts tells SmartCompany she and her husband had run their own small business years ago, but in 2015 the couple got involved in Aussie Farmers Direct, believing in the company’s ethos and seeing franchising as a “good midway point” between operating your own business and having the support of a head office. Read more

Emma Koehn - Smart Company - 9 Mar 2018