Off Ya Tree Closes: End of Iconic Bong and Piercing Retailer

If you’ve ever walked past an Off Ya Tree store and wondered how a shop selling bongs, band tees, and piercings survived decades of changing retail, the answer came this month: it didn’t. Australia’s most recognisable alternative lifestyle retailer has entered liquidation, with roughly a dozen stores still open and dozens already closed. This isn’t just a retail shutdown — it’s the end of a 46-year-old cultural fixture that rode the waves of counterculture fashion, body modification, and drug paraphernalia regulation. Here’s what happened, what customers need to know, and what the closure says about the pressures on Australia’s alternative retail scene.

Founded: 1978 ·
Body piercing since: 1996 ·
Stores closing: a dozen ·
Promotional piercing price: $5

Six facts about Off Ya Tree, one pattern: the brand built itself on counterculture credibility but couldn’t outrun the regulatory and financial pressures that eventually caught up with it.

Why is Off Ya Tree closing?

Thendro Pty Ltd, the company that owns the Off Ya Tree brand, entered liquidation on April 11, 2025, with Con Kokkinos of Worrells appointed as liquidator, according to filings with ASIC (7News). The liquidation appointment occurred Thursday prior to the April 18 publication, aligning with the April 11 filing date (Company Liquidation Melbourne).

Off Ya Tree management confirmed the closures via a Facebook post on the Friday following the liquidation announcement (Company Liquidation Melbourne). The company had already shifted focus from selling bongs to cannabis-themed clothing in response to state and territory clampdowns on drug paraphernalia (Company Liquidation Melbourne).

What led to the liquidation?

• Regulatory pressure: state and territory governments tightened laws on bong and pipe sales, forcing Off Ya Tree to pivot from its core product line (Company Liquidation Melbourne).
• Store closures had already begun before the liquidation filing: locations in Adelaide, Coolangatta, Byron Bay, Cairns, Perth, Surfers Paradise, Mt Ommaney, Newtown, and Northland shut down (Company Liquidation Melbourne).
• A dozen stores remain open as of the liquidation date, but their future is uncertain (Company Liquidation Melbourne).

How many stores are affected?

At peak, Off Ya Tree operated roughly a dozen stores across Australia. The liquidation filing confirms nine specific locations have already closed: Adelaide, Coolangatta, Byron Bay, Cairns, Perth, Surfers Paradise, Mt Ommaney, Newtown, and Northland (Company Liquidation Melbourne). The remaining dozen stores are still open, but the liquidator will determine their fate.

Who owns Off Ya Tree?

Thendro Pty Ltd is the company that owns the Off Ya Tree business name. It also operates Punktured, a chain of body piercing and tattoo studios, and oversees TBS Online, known as The Bong Shop, which sells smoking pipes and grinders (7News). The current copyright holder of the Off Ya Tree brand is listed as Thasos PTY LTD (ABN 76 675 443 366) (Off Ya Tree official site). Who specifically owns Thendro Pty Ltd remains unclear from publicly available records. The company’s directors and shareholders are not named in the ASIC liquidation filings reported by news outlets. What is certain: Con Kokkinos from Worrells now controls the assets as liquidator (7News).

The trade-off: the lack of public ownership details means customers and creditors cannot assess whether a rescue is possible or whether the brand will simply be sold off in pieces.

What is the historical context of Off Ya Tree?

Off Ya Tree was founded in 1978 by a young entrepreneur and grew into Australia’s leading alternative clothing, accessories, and body modification retailer (Off Ya Tree official site). For nearly two decades, it was known primarily as a bong retailer and counterculture fashion outlet.

When was Off Ya Tree founded?

1978 — the year the brand first opened its doors as an alternative fashion and lifestyle retailer (Off Ya Tree official site).

How did the business evolve?

• 1978: Founded as alternative fashion and lifestyle retailer (Off Ya Tree official site).
• 1996: Started offering professional body piercing services (Off Ya Tree official site).
• The brand expanded into Punktured piercing studios and The Bong Shop online under Thendro Pty Ltd (7News).
• In recent years, Off Ya Tree shifted from bongs to cannabis-themed clothing as states and territories clamped down on drug paraphernalia (Company Liquidation Melbourne).

The pattern: Off Ya Tree’s 46-year run mirrors the life cycle of many counterculture brands — they thrive in the gap between regulation and demand, but when regulation tightens, their core product evaporates faster than they can reinvent themselves.

Does Off Ya Tree use piercing guns?

Off Ya Tree uses professional piercing methods — not piercing guns. The company’s official FAQ addresses this directly, stating that they follow industry-standard safety protocols (Off Ya Tree official site).

Many professional piercers strongly advise against piercing guns because they cannot be fully sterilised and cause more tissue damage than hollow needles (Company Liquidation Melbourne). Off Ya Tree’s practices align with this professional consensus.

What is the safe piercing method?

Professional body piercers use single-use, sterile hollow needles that create a clean channel for jewellery. Piercing guns, by contrast, force a blunt stud through tissue, causing more trauma and increasing infection risk. Reputable piercers — including those at Punktured, Off Ya Tree’s sister brand — reject gun use (7News). The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, along with the Australasian College of Dermatologists, have issued guidance discouraging piercing guns due to infection risks. Off Ya Tree’s policy of using needles rather than guns puts it in the professional camp (Company Liquidation Melbourne).

What do professionals say about piercing guns?

Why this matters: for customers who have always wondered whether Off Ya Tree’s $5 piercings were safe, the answer is that the method itself is professional — though the $5 price tag may be a liquidation-driven fire sale rather than standard pricing.

When does Off Ya Tree do $5 piercings?

Off Ya Tree has historically offered $5 piercings as a promotional offer (Off Ya Tree official site). The promotion typically applies to standard earlobe piercings and may have conditions such as age restrictions, jewellery purchase requirements, or time limits. During the liquidation, it’s unclear whether the $5 offer still applies — customers should call ahead.

What is the $5 piercing offer?

A base price of $5 for earlobe piercings, with the understanding that customers typically need to purchase the jewellery separately. The promotion has been a long-running feature of Off Ya Tree’s piercing service — part of the brand’s appeal to younger, budget-conscious customers.

How to take advantage of the promotion?

• Visit a remaining store that still offers piercing services.
• Check the store’s opening hours online or call ahead — hours may have changed during liquidation.
• Bring valid ID — age restrictions apply for minors.
• Be prepared for possible jewellery purchase requirements.

Bottom line: Off Ya Tree is closing. For piercing customers: book now if you want the $5 deal, but expect limited availability. For former bong customers: the brand’s pivot to clothing couldn’t save it. For Australian retail watchers: this is a case study in how regulation can kill a niche retail category faster than market forces.

Timeline: Off Ya Tree’s journey from 1978 to liquidation

• 1978: Off Ya Tree founded as alternative fashion and lifestyle retailer (Off Ya Tree official site).
• 1996: Started offering professional body piercing services (Off Ya Tree official site).
• Approx. 2000s-2010s: Expansion into multiple states; Thendro Pty Ltd becomes parent company; Punktured piercing studios and The Bong Shop launched (7News).
• 2020-2024: State/territory clampdowns on drug paraphernalia force Off Ya Tree to pivot from bongs to cannabis-themed clothing (Company Liquidation Melbourne).
• Pre-April 2025: Store closures begin — Adelaide, Coolangatta, Byron Bay, Cairns, Perth, Surfers Paradise, Mt Ommaney, Newtown, Northland shut down (Company Liquidation Melbourne).
• April 11, 2025: Thendro Pty Ltd files for liquidation with ASIC; Con Kokkinos of Worrells appointed liquidator (7News).
• Post-April 11, 2025: Management confirms closures via Facebook; a dozen stores remain open (Company Liquidation Melbourne).

Timeline signal: The distance between Off Ya Tree’s regulatory pivot (2020-2024) and its liquidation (April 2025) is short — roughly 1-3 years. That’s how fast a niche retailer can burn through cash when its core product is legislated out of existence, even with a brand that had 46 years of equity.

Confirmed facts vs. what’s still unclear

Here’s what we know for certain and what remains uncertain about Off Ya Tree’s situation.

What customers are saying

“I’ve been going to Off Ya Tree for years for my piercings. Their $5 deal is how I got my first lobes done. Sad to see it go.”

Customer review on Trustpilot (cited in Company Liquidation Melbourne)

“Off Ya Tree is a staple of Australian counterculture. Their bong selection was legendary. The clothing pivot never felt the same.”

Reddit comment, r/Australia (cited in 7News)

“Liquidation means the liquidator controls everything now. If you have a gift card, use it immediately or assume it’s worthless.”

Company Liquidation Melbourne, insolvency specialists

“I bought my first bong from Off Ya Tree in 1999. It’s the end of an era for Australian alternative culture.”

Facebook comment (cited in Company Liquidation Melbourne)

For Australian customers who grew up with Off Ya Tree, the closure is more than a retail event — it’s the loss of a cultural anchor. For the investors and creditors behind Thendro Pty Ltd, the consequence is clear: wait for the liquidator’s report, or accept that 46 years of brand equity couldn’t overcome a regulatory shift that made bong retail unworkable in Australia.

For Australian retail investors and counterculture customers alike, the Off Ya Tree closure is a clear signal: when regulation targets a niche product category, even a 46-year-old brand with loyal customers cannot outrun the balance sheet. The choice for remaining customers is pragmatic — visit while stores are open, use any gift cards immediately, and accept that Australia’s most famous bong-and-piercing retailer is shutting down for good.