The worldwide recession has claimed a chain of furniture shops co-founded by All Blacks rugby lock Ali Williams.
Five SuperFurn shops in the chain in Auckland were to close but the Rotorua shop would stay open, Williams' business partner, Paul Gapes, said.
The shops in Mt Roskill, Manukau, Pukekohe, Henderson and Glenfield and Rotorua opened a year ago and were trading profitably until just before Christmas, when sales slumped.
"It's as if someone just turned the lights off," he told the New Zealand Herald.
Business was "diabolical' for furniture retailers, he said.
Mr Gapes believed the company could pay all its creditors.
"We can't see any light at the end of the tunnel for retail sales.
"If we keep continuing to kid ourselves that it's going to go really well in another month, you know, we'll be irresponsible ..." About 10 staff would lose their jobs.
