Ethel Austin closes 114 stores
More than 1,000 staff at Ethel Austin lost their jobs yesterday after the stricken fashion retailer’s administrator was forced to close 114 stores. The move came after the Merseyside-based chain, together with Au Naturale, its homewares sister company, fell into administration this month, for the second time in two years, after poor Christmas trading and bad weather in January hit its cashflow.