Jobs in jeopardy after furniture business goes into administration

JOBS have been axed and more are in jeopardy at Furniture Barn, after administrators announced that the retailer would be closing several of its sites.

Its warehouses at Doncaster, Thurrock and West Bromwich closed last week, on 15 January, said joint administrators Nigel Hamilton Smith and Geoff Rowley, partners at FRP Advisory.

The closure of two of its retail sites, its warehouses, including its Doncaster site, and its head office in Market Harborough, will result in 59 job losses, with 45 at the company’s head office.

It has operated with 100 staff since its administration on 4 December 2015. At the time, administrators said it would operate as normal until a buyer has been found.

Furniture Barn continues to operate and service new and existing customer orders at its retail outlets, including two in Yorkshire, located in Doncaster and Sheffield, under an operating licence agreement organised by the administrators.

Sites in Essex, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, the West MIdlands and Worcestershire will remain open for the time being.

Directors of Furniture Barn Nigel Hickman and Terry Maywood will continue operations with the remaining businesses over a six month period, for which they have an operating license.

The joint administrators have said they are assisting any staff who have lost their jobs in their claims with the Redundancy Payments Services.