An Essex-based home furnishings retailer and wholesaler has entered into administration.
Linens Direct Ltd, based in Harlow, had a string of 36 stores, primarily across the south-east of England, including at Colchester and Chelmsford, where five and seven staff were made redundant respectively following the stores’ closures on June 9 and June 14.
Joint administrators Jamie Taylor of Begbies Traynor (Central) LLP and Alan Simon of AABRS Limited, who were appointed by the company director on June 19, said a structured store closure programme, which resulted in all staff being made redundant, concluded on June 29. The latest available financial accounts submitted to Companies House for the year ended January 31, 2016, showed the business made a pre-tax loss of almost £150,000, compared to a profit of almost £2.5m a year earlier. Over the same period, turnover fell from £18.4m to £18m.
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