Modella and HMV owner compete for Claire’s Accessories September 8, 2025 Modella Capital, the investor behind WH Smith’s UK acquisition the man responsible for rescuing HMV are locked in a battle to buy struggling high street chain Claire’s. Claire’s appointed administrators for its UK arm in August, just a week after it filed for bankruptcy in the US and entered administration in France. The company had been considering [...]
Bodycare: Full list of stores to close as 450 jobs lost September 5, 2025 High street health and beauty retailer Bodycare has collapsed into administration with the loss of 32 stores and around 450 jobs being made redundant. Nick Holloway, Chris Pole and Mike Leeds from Interpath have been appointed joint administrators to G.R. & M.M. Blackledge plc, which trades as Bodycare. Founded in 1970 on a market stall [...]
Seraphine: Princess of Wales’ favourite owed a king’s ransom August 15, 2025 Seraphine, the maternity fashion retailer whose clothes were worn by the Princess of Wales, owed over £33m as it collapsed into administration before being rescued. The business ceased trading and entered administration in July with consultancy firm Interpath appointed to oversee the process. The move led to the majority of its 95-strong staff being made [...]
Claire’s on the verge of collapse with over 2,000 jobs at risk August 13, 2025 Claire’s, the high street fashion accessories chain, is on the brink of collapse after revealing its intention to appoint administrators in the UK and Ireland in a move which would put over 2,000 jobs at risk. The business, which has 278 stores in the UK as well as a further 28 in Ireland, filed a [...]
Labour lines up advisers for Thames Water administration August 12, 2025 Labour ministers have reached out to top insolvency practitioners in the scenario Thames Water falls into special administration, it has been reported. The UK’s largest water company is at a crisis point after private equity giant KKR pulled out of a multi-billion pound investment deal that could have offered it a lifeline given Thames Water [...]
UK’s largest chamber of commerce on brink of collapse August 7, 2025 The largest accredited chamber of commerce in the UK is on the brink of collapse after filing a notice of intent to appoint administrators. Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, which has around 4,000 members, has cited the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath for creating “sustained financial pressures” as one of the reasons behind its current [...]
Here’s why the Simmons bar was never going to last August 6, 2025 It should have worked. On every level. Millennial pink neon art, reliably late opening hours, chugging cheap cocktails to disco playlists. Who doesn’t like disco playlists? And yet, after taking the “tough decision” to close four bars, Simmons has gone into administration, owing millions to the bank and tax collectors. When Simmons launched in 2013, [...]
Is Claire’s about to disappear from the UK High Street? August 6, 2025 Claire’s accessories has filed for bankruptcy in the US and entered administration in France, stoking fears about its presence on UK high streets. The US-based fashion accessories and jewellery business filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in a court in Delaware, according to new documents. Chris Cramer, CEO of Claire’s, said the decision was “difficult” but [...]
Simmons: Bar chain owed millions to OakNorth, tax collectors before entering administration August 6, 2025 Simmons owed millions of pounds in debts to OakNorth bank and tax collectors before it was put into administration, fresh corporate documents have revealed. The London-based cocktail bar chain has made at least 30 staff redundant alongside closing several sites as founder Nick Campbell battled to secure rescue funding to buy the company in a [...]
Y-Combinator-backed agritech Supplant put up for sale after plunging into administration August 5, 2025 An agritech firm backed by the likes of Y-Combinator has been put up for sale after being plunged into administration, City AM can reveal. Cambridge-based Supplant, which had raised more than £25m in funding since launch, is now searching for a rescue buyer and will accept offers over just £2.5m, according to an insolvency marketplace [...]