Wills announced she would cease the operation of her jewellery business as of January 2019 in a statement made on her Instagram account.
She started the company from home when she was 22, and said it was with a “heavy heart” that she would “end this chapter of the brand”. Since its inception in 2004, the brand has been distributed widely both online and in department stores, with David Jones and The Iconic among the company’s retailers in recent years.
Wills claimed loss of revenue was not the cause for the company’s forthcoming closure and stressed: “Yes, we are profitable and yes, we are considered successful, but walking away is what I need to do to be creative again with integrity, passion and energy”.
The press release stated that Wills would focus her time on Samantha Wills Foundation to “support young entrepreneurs, as much about the ins and outs of start-up business as well as being brave enough to make decisions with integrity, truth of heart, kindness and authenticity.”
Wills started creating her handcrafted pieces in her kitchen and the jewellery was sold at Bondi markets. Eventually, the collection gained worldwide recognition and was featured in fashion columns of influential newspapers, including the New York Times.
The Samantha Wills website and Facebook page don’t accommodate comments or customer reviews of her jewellery. However, a review available on productreview.com gave a one star rating and complained that they received a poor product and were not given a refund upon request.
“When the necklace arrived, it didn't sit properly and bunched up near the pendant; it also didn't look as nice in real life. I applied for a refund and they said they would credit my account,” the user stated.
“I returned the necklace and received an email that they had given me a credit to their Brand Exclusive website. I didn't want a credit and contacted customer service to be told that a credit to my account meant to my Brands Exclusive account. I am so annoyed I will never shop with them again.”
While Wills’ statement stressed that the company was not closing due to financial factors, when Jeweller contacted the company for further information, no response was received.
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