Jobs threat as discount footwear firm collapses
THE discount footwear retail chain Brantano UK has gone into administration leaving 2,000 jobs at risk, just three months after it was bought by a specialist investor.
Administrator PwC said Brantano’s website and store network – which includes 19 North West sites – would continue to trade as normal for now.
The firm operates 140 stores and 60 concessions across the UK and is the first retail failure of 2016.
Brantano was bought by Alteri Investors last October but PwC said it had “experienced difficult trading conditions” and it was placed in administration “despite sustained efforts to make the business more commercially viable”.
The administrator added that sister company Jones Bootmaker, which Alteri also bought from the Dutch-based Macintosh Retail Group in the same deal, was not affected by Brantano’s collapse.
Tony Barrell, the lead administrator, said: “The continuing challenging conditions for ‘bricks and mortar’ retail stores are well documented.
“Like many others, Brantano has been hit hard by the change in consumers’ shopping habits and the evolution of the UK retail environment.
“The administrators are continuing to trade the businesses as normal whilst we assess the trading strategy over the coming days and weeks.
“Staff will be paid their arrears of wages and salaries, and will continue to be paid for their work during the administration.”
Robert Moran, who is leading the sales process, added: “Brantano is an established value shoe retailer in the UK and Jones Bootmaker/Brantano businesses attracted considerable interest during the 2015 sales process.
“We are now assessing interest in the UK Brantano business as a whole or its parts and we welcome approaches from interested parties.”
The North West stores are at : Crewe, Northwich, Congleton, Chester, Prescot, Birkenhead, Sefton, Meols, Workington, Barrow, Whitehaven, Carlisle, Newton-le-Willows, Southport, Brierfield, Glossop, Leyland, Rochdale and Bolton.
