Edinburgh based Ness fashion to close three stores across Scotland

Ness stores in Dundee, Glasgow and Livingston are set to close. Picture: Google maps

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The stores - located in Dundee, Glasgow (Buchanan Galleries) and the Livingston Designer Outlet - will cease to trade during the week starting Monday January 30, 2017.

All staff at the stores will be made redundant.

The announcement comes following the closures of four other stores in Aberdeen, Cambridge, Bath and Ilkley on Sunday January 15.

BDO LLP business restructuring partners James Stephen and Matthew Tait were appointed Joint Administrators over Ness Clothing on December 23, 2016.

Before it went into administration the firm, based in Henderson Place Lane, Edinburgh, operated 10 stores in Scotland and five stores in England, plus four concessions.

It employed 105 people across its head office and chain of outlets.

The administrators have continued to trade the company with a view to effecting a sale as a going concern.

Having received a number of expressions of interest, they are now liaising with a preferred bidder and are hopeful of securing a sale of the business.

However, the administrators said that the three stores named today will not form part of any sale agreement and are therefore to close.

Mr Stephen said: “Despite Ness Clothing’s improving sales figures nationally over the last 12 months, a challenging trading environment has significantly affected the long-term viability of these three outlets.

“We are left with no option but to cease trading these stores. Regrettably, all staff at these stores will be made redundant.”

The administrators said that while further limited store closures are anticipated in the coming weeks, all remaining Ness Clothing stores continue to trade, with all staff retained, while a sale of the business is finalised.

The first Ness store opened in 1997 at 367 High Street in Edinburgh, according to the firm’s website.