Bonmarche collapses again as the bloodshed intensifies Business

Administrators are trying to strike a bailout deal and have said no redundancy will be done and no stores closed in the meantime.

Bonmarché has 225 stores across the UK, having closed 30 when it entered administration in October 2019, as it battled rising costs and the threat of online shopping.

It was saved at the time by his rival Peacocks, who is part of the Edinburgh wool manufacturing group of retail tycoon Philip Day.

Peacocks and several other brands in the EWM group were put into administration last month.

Based in Wakefield, Bonmarché dates back to 1982. Founder Parkash Singh Chima began selling clothing door-to-door and in markets, before opening his first boutique in Doncaster in 1985.

Damian Webb, RSM Directors, said: “Bonmarche remains an attractive brand with a loyal following. We intend to continue trading while working closely with management to explore options for the company.

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