Blaze one out for Joynt Venture, the WA icon shutting its doors after almost 50 years

If you instantly recognised the cover photo of this article, we wouldn’t hold it against you!

“Australia’s oldest head shop”, Joynt Venture has been operating around various malls of Perth since way back in 1977, after initially being founded in Wisconsin in 1968.

A haven for retro band shirts, obscure movie posters, body jewellery, and of course various smoking apparatus, Joynt Venture long ago achieved cult status amongst the Perth retail scene.

And after moving into its latest space on William Street in Northbridge just under a year ago, those high times have come to an end, with the owners making the announcement on social media over the weekend.

The owners cite a number of factors into Joynt Venture’s time running out, most recently Christmas sales not being enough to cover the quiet times.

“Starting in Milwaukee Wisconsin in 1968, Joynt Venture opened in Perth in 1977 in the Perth Markets,” says the post.

“I started here 19 years ago, unfortunately, in that time, independent retail has become a thing of the past. Online sales took a chunk, then came the synthetics which spawned a bunch of unscrupulous competitors. The influx of unregulated Vape shops, we can’t compete anymore,” it continues.

“COVID changed how people shop and the Christmas trade has dwindled to a few days of decent sales just before Christmas. Sadly, not enough to cover the quiet times. If we could pay our bills with “this is my favourite shop in Perth” we wouldn’t be closing.”

The owners go on to thank the regulars over the years, including the “Alt Kids, Metal heads, Stoner Grannies, puppy visitors and genuinely, the coolest customers on the planet.”

You can read the full post below, and drop by over the next couple of weeks to pay your respects while the store gets rid of their remaining stock with a closing down sale.

Image Credit: Joynt Venture