Bonmarche falls into administration for second time in a year

Women’s fashion retailer Bonmarche has become the latest high street name to fail after it collapsed into administration for the second time in a year.

Bonmarche has gone into administration.

Around 1,500 jobs are thought to be at risk across the UK, although all 225 stores are currently continuing to trade.

Administrator RSM Restructuring Advisory said: “no redundancies or store closures have been made on appointment” and said that it hoped to sell the brand.

Damian Webb, joint administrator of RSM Restructuring Advisory, said: “Bonmarche remains an attractive brand with a loyal customer base.

“It is our intention to continue to trade whilst working closely with management to explore the options for the business."

He added: “We will shortly be marketing the business for sale, and based on the interest to date we anticipate there will be a number of interested parties.”

Bonmarche is a subsidiary of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill group, which last month went into administration, although the Bonmarche brand was not part of the filing at that time. The brand also fell into administration around a year ago, after being bought out in a rescue deal by Peacocks, which itself entered administration in 2012. Peacocks was bought out of administration that year by Edinburgh Woollen Mill.. However, 30 stores shut just before Christmas last year, affecting hundreds of jobs at the group.

Last year’s administration came after a series of profit warnings from the group.

The news comes a day after department store chain Debenhams confirmed plans to start winding down its operations “while continuing to seek offers for all or parts of the business” after rescue talks with JD Sports collapsed. The firm’s 12,000 employees are likely to lose their jobs when the 242-year-old department store chain’s 124 shops cease trading.

It is yet another blow for the embattled high street in a week when Topshop, Burton and Dorothy Perkins owner Arcadia went into administration putting 13,000 jobs at risk. The group, which runs 444 stores in the UK and 22 overseas, said no redundancies are being announced yet as a result of the appointment and stores will continue to trade.

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