Value retailer Bonmarche has been bought out of administration, securing more than 500 jobs. It has acquired all of Bonmarche's remaining stock, as well as the head office site and distribution centre in Wakefield. A total of 72 stores will remain open, meaning 531 jobs will now transfer to Purepay.
The chains, part of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group controlled by the billionaire Philip Day, collapsed last year as Covid-19 restrictions led to financial difficulties. The company will operate 246 Edinburgh Woollen Mill and Ponden Home stores under licence, while 1,453 staff will transfer across to the new owner.
The Famous Lee Mill retail outlet near Ivybridge has closed indefinitely, according to staff at the related Kernow Mill near Saltash. The closure was brought to attention by a man who had attempted to visit for a while only to find it wasn't open.
Collapsed fashion retailer Peacocks has been bought out of administration by a senior executive with backing from an international consortium, it has been announced. Peacocks was part of the Philip Day-owned EWM fashion retail empire which collapsed in November last year.
The collapsed fashion chain Peacocks has been bought out of administration, a move that includes transferring 2,000 jobs and 200 shops. The number means the other half of the 400 trading at the time of the chain's collapse last November will not reopen as Peacocks.
By 1970, when it opened its first shop Edinburgh, then two years later opened another across the border in Carlisle. It was taken over by a management buy-in led by Philip Day and is now an independent privately-owned business 100% held by his family.
107 Ponden Home stores. 88 tourist shops and visitor centres trading under various fascias (e.g. James Pringle Weavers)
Austin Reed is currently sold in 49 concessions, and is also sold via its own website and recently on menswear personal-styling website Thread. Edinburgh Woolen Mill Group bought the Austin Reed name and its stock in May 2016, after the brand went into administration the previous month.
November 7: EWM Group confirmed that two of its retail brands – Edinburgh Woollen Mill and Ponden Home – fell into administration. The group permanently closed 56 Edinburgh Woollen Mill stores along with eight Ponden Home shops, axing 866 jobs and putting a further 1821 jobs under threat.
One of Britain's wealthiest high street fashion moguls, Philip Day owns Edinburgh Woollen Mill and several other UK fashion brands. He decided to skip college in order to start working for a British clothing manufacturer and joined Edinburgh Woolen Mill in 2001.
Women's fashion chain Bonmarché has fallen into administration, putting more than 1,500 jobs at risk. Bonmarché, which has 225 stores around the country, was owned by retail tycoon Philip Day.
6 April 2021The deal has been finalised! Peacocks has been bought out of administration by an international investment consortium, backed by Edinburgh Woollen Mill's CEO, Steve Simpson.
In October 2019, the retailer fell into administration, with boss Helen Connolly blaming “a period of historic difficulty” on the high street for its demise. All stores currently remain open while the future of the company is assessed.
