Bensons For Beds acquires Carpetright stores following collapse
19 former Carpetright stores have been acquired by Bensons for Beds following Carpetright’s collapse last month.
Carpetright entered administration in July this year, resulting in the loss of over 1,500 jobs.
The Essex-based carpet and tiling retailer was bought by rival Tapi for an undisclosed amount, saving over 300 jobs and 54 stores.
Bensons For Beds has now acquired 19 stores, which include stores in Aberdeen, Ashton, Belfast, Canterbury, Edmonton, Exeter, Irvine, Kettering, Old Kent Road, Oldbury, Portsmouth, Salisbury, Slough, Sutton, Torquay, Bath, Eastbourne, Gillingham, and Solihull.
Established in 1988, the company operates throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland, with its headquarters in Purfleet, Essex. Before its collapse, Carpetright operated around 270 stores in the UK with a workforce of approximately 1,800.
At the time the company faced difficult trading conditions, largely due to shifting consumer preferences and a decline in home improvement spending after the pandemic, according to joint administrators Zelf Hussain, Rachael Wilkinson, and Peter Dickens of PwC.
Additionally, a cyber attack in April 2024 severely disrupted operations, preventing the business from trading for a time.
Nick Collard, CEO of Bensons for Beds, said; “Increasing the number of Bensons stores remains a key growth priority and we are excited about this opportunity to take on 19 store units. Today’s announcement supports our overall plan to expand our current 162-strong store estate to over 200 over the next few years.”
Bensons for Beds announced plans to start trading in the first of the acquired locations within the next few months.
The company expressed hope that this move will “help create opportunities for former Carpetright employees” as it begins operations in these new stores.
