Adams joins retail casualty list

CHILDRENSWEAR retailer Adams looks set to become the latest high street casualty, with the  appointment of administrators this week.

The chain, which has 260 outlets across the UK including 23 in the North West – eight in Greater Manchester, four in Merseyside, six in Lancashire, four in Cheshire and one in Cumbria –   joins a list of national retailers going out of business such as MFI and Woolworths.

Although the clothing chain has applied to the administrators’ court it has yet to be officially placed into administration.

The company, which was founded in Birmingham and is celebrating its 75th year, makes clothes for health and beauty chain Boots.

It was bought last year by Northern Ireland entrepreneur John Shannon with the closure of 42 branches.

Its failure is further proof that the High Street is struggling to beat the credit crunch.

North West insolvency firm Begbies Traynor has predicted that up to 15 nationwide retailers will go under by early January despite unprecedented price cutting.

Last week troubled music store Zavvi called in the administrators putting 3,400 jobs at risk.

Zavvi’s main supplier is Woolworths’ unit Entertainment UK (EUK), which collapsed along with its parent company  on November 27.

But there is still hope as the sales of tea and coffee specialist Whittards and menswear chain The Officers Club demonstrates. Both firms were sold out of administration last week..