The owner of failed bicycle chain BSC Bikes blames a ‘‘perfect storm’’ of retail industry woes, including unfair competition from internet outlets, for the surprise collapse of his company.

Peter Hess called for a special levy on internet retailers to level the playing field with local shops.

Employees remove stock from BSC Bikes' QV Building store in the city yesterday. Credit:Wayne Taylor

BSC Bikes, which had three stores in Melbourne and planned to open another in a fortnight, unexpectedly shut its doors on Tuesday night, costing between 25 and 30 jobs.

‘‘We sort of got caught up in a perfect storm of high rents, unfair internet competition, tightening credit from our suppliers, a general slow down in the retail market, too many stores opening up in our area and very aggressive discounting in the industry,’’ Mr Hess told The Age.