Blue Inc picks up local Officers’ Club stores from administrators
THREE former Officers’ Club stores in the North West have been snapped up by fashionwear retailer Blue Inc.
The company has picked up former Officers’ Club outlets at Manchester’s Arndale Centre, Preston and Rochdale after the menswear retailer was placed into administration for the second time in just over two years.
Les Ross from the Manchester office of Grant Thornton has been appointed as joint administrator of Officers Club 1979 Ltd alongside Joe McLean from the firm’s Leeds office.
Officers’ Club employed 900 people across 102 stores in the UK. Some 46 of these have been sold to Blue Inc, which is taking on 400 of the affected members of staff. However, the remaining 56 stores and the warehouse function have closed.
Joint Administrator Joe McLean said: “The Company experienced particularly challenging trading conditions in 2010 with raw material costs rising significantly. It was not possible to pass these increases on to customers given the extremely price-sensitive nature of the UK retail arena.
“The directors did not see any improvement forthcoming in the early months of 2011 and, mindful of their legal responsibilities, concluded reluctantly that administration was in the best interests of the company’s creditors and other stakeholders.
