By Jessica Yun and Colin Kruger
Organised thieves targeting Rebel Sport stores in Victoria are having such a financial impact on its parent, ASX-listed Super Retail Group, that management flagged it with analysts and investors at the group’s full-year results on Thursday.
Super Retail chief executive Anthony Heraghty, who is embroiled in a Federal Court battle brought by two former employees, said highly organised criminals were entering the company’s sporting goods stores to steal thousands of dollars worth of high-value items that could be easily resold through online marketplaces.
Super Retail Group CEO Anthony Heraghty said organised retail crime syndicates were targeting a handful of Rebel stores.Credit: Ben Searcy
“The biggest problem with this issue is we refer to it as shoplifting, which you have in your mind of a teenager stealing a pair of socks. That’s not this. This is professional,” he said.
“They’ll have in their arms maybe $1000, $2000 worth of apparel. They’ll stride out of the store in walking pace.”
Staff members are instructed not to engage in these situations to protect their safety. “That individual will flash a knife at our team member and walk out the door,” Heraghty said.
“What is going on when that is happening in the public square? And what is going on with a 200 Series LandCruiser that has been driven through a shopping centre? This is a place of the community area, a place of commerce, and it’s just simply out of control.”
The persistent thievery resulted in a slight decline in Rebel’s gross margins for the 2025 financial year, but the sports retailer still notched a 4.8 per cent increase in sales. Its parent company’s other businesses, Supercheap Auto, BCF and Macpac, also grew over the year, sending the group’s total sales 4.5 per cent higher to $4.07 billion.
Super Retail Group’s share price skyrocketed on Thursday to close 12.3 per cent higher to $18.57 as analysts noted earnings were better than expected.
The uptake in running clubs and the popularity of marathons has boosted Rebel’s footwear sales, with some customers purchasing $400 running shoes containing a carbon plate to wear them for just a day, while others are buying them for fashion.
“What we’re seeing globally is these shoes being so bespoke that they are often a one-use only, so you’ll wear them at a Melbourne marathon, and then they’re no good,” said Heraghty.
“That running shoe is becoming a popular casual shoe, so your Asics Kayanos retrospectively are being paired with jeans. Who would have thought.”
The company’s remuneration report showed that Heraghty, who is at the centre of a court battle brought by two of the retail company’s former top lawyers, Amelia Berczelly and Rebecca Farrell, did not have any of his bonuses reduced as a result of the legal proceedings brought against him, the $4.3 billion retailer, and former chair Sally Pitkin. He took home $3.3 million for fiscal 2025.
Farrell and Berczelly are alleging that their efforts to bring to light allegations of an affair between Heraghty and the group’s former HR boss, Jane Kelly, led to a culture of bullying and breaches of the Corporations Act. Heraghty is defending the claim and denies the allegations.
Super Retail Group set aside $11.3 million for “legal, professional fees and expenses related to regulatory and litigation matters”.
The company also issued a responsible business report, which stated that “creating a safe and supporting working environment is essential”.
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