More jobs go as Rosebys collapses

The company started as a market stall in Grimsby 86 years ago

Home furnishings chain Rosebys, which went into administration last month, has announced the closure of another 31 stores with the loss of 186 jobs.

A further 87 jobs have been axed from a distribution centre in Selby, North Yorkshire, which has also closed.

Joint administrator Howard Smith said the redundancies had been made with "regret". Talks were continuing over the rest of the business, he said.

But Mr Smith warned: "We anticipate further store closures next week."

Meanwhile, the administrators continue to have a dialogue with a number of parties who are interested in either the whole or parts of the business.

Mounting losses

Rosebys had 280 stores nationwide and generated sales of around £100m a year, but was hit by the downturn in consumer spending and lost £6m in the year to 31 March.

The firm failed to claw back lost profits and owes creditors more than £30m.

The business, which started life as a Grimsby market stall in 1922, grew through acquisitions before joining the London stock market in 1992.

The 31 stores closed this week are in Dagenham, Ilford, Hammersmith, Walsall, Stevenage, Walthamstow, Maidstone, Burton, Liverpool, Hartlepool, Hounslow, Barnsley, Lewisham, Chelmsford, Sutton, Peterborough, Woking, Edinburgh, Nottingham Victoria Centre, Lowestoft, Thurrock, Worthing, Hull, Maidenhead, York, Camberley, Stirling, Hemel Hempstead, Dundee, Wolverhampton and Leeds White Rose Centre.

Last week administrators closed 10 Rosebys shops in Dunstable, Basildon, Swindon, Brighton, Wood Green, Sutton Coldfield, Oldham, Leicester and two in Glasgow with the loss of 60 jobs.

Another 32 jobs were axed from the company's head offices in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, last Tuesday.