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High street fashion chain with shops in Ipswich and Felixstowe collapses
Bonmarch� has five stores in Suffolk Picture: BONMARCHE - Credit: Archant
Fashion retailer Bonmarché – which has stores in Ipswich, Felixstowe and Bury St Edmunds – has collapsed into administration, putting almost 2,900 jobs at risk, administrators have said.
The clothing chain has become the latest victim of the high street downturn, after a "sustained period of challenging trading conditions".
The womenswear retailer employs 2,887 staff, including 200 at its head office, and operates 318 stores across the UK.
Tony Wright, Alastair Massey and Phil Pierce, of specialist advisory firm FRP, were appointed as joint administrators for the firm on Friday.
FRP said the company will continue to trade with no immediate job losses, as it assesses options to secure the future of the company.
"All stores remain open and no redundancies have been made," the administrators said in a statement.
The news comes on another tumultuous day for the high street, as it emerged the Ipswich branch of footwear retailer Treds, next to Claire's in Westgate Street, had closed and was being remodelled.
Bonmarché's Suffolk stores include:
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- Ipswich (Westgate Street)
- Felixstowe (Hamilton Road)
- Bury St Edmunds (Cornhill)
- Lowestoft (London Road North)
- Newmarket (High Street)
And its Essex stores include:
- Colchester (Wyevale Garden Centre)
- Clacton (Pier Avenue)
- Braintree (Chelmsford Star Co-op)
- Chelmsford (Exchange Way)
It's not clear yet what will happen to these branches.
Stay with us for updates on this developing story.
