Beauty concession business crashes into administration with loss of 120 jobs

A beauty bar that operates from 31 concessions at a national retailer and specialises in giving customers makeovers has been placed into administration following a sharp drop in footfall on the high street.

Arch Angelz Limited, which was established in 2008 and employs 120 staff, operated 31 concessions in Debenhams and had sales approaching £3m.

The firm, which had two concessions in the North West, faced financial difficulties this year with declining turnover as the general decline in the retail sector and the shift to online shopping dealt a blow to the High Street.

Corporate recovery and business advisory firm Quantuma was appointed on 1 October 2018 to handle the administration.

The process is being led by Quantuma Partner Graham Randall and Director Mark Roach as joint administrators, with support from Senior Administrator Rachel Maskrey.

Arch Angelz, which traded in Bury and Manchester, has been unable to secure any additional funding and all 120 employees will be made redundant.

Graham Randall, Partner at Quantuma, said: “There has been a significant decline in the UK retail sector over the last 12 months and this has adversely impacted turnover of Arch Angelz.

“The company started to experience financial difficulties earlier this year and despite recent attempts by the company and its advisors to find a buyer, it is with regret that the sale process has not been successful and the company has no alternative than to cease trading.

“This will be a difficult time for staff in the period leading up to Christmas and it is our priority to assist all employees with their claims while conducting an orderly wind down of the business and seeking to maximise the recovery for creditors.”