Major retailer puts two more businesses into administration after luxury brand

A MAJOR retail group has called in administrators for two more of its businesses after shutting one of its luxury brands just weeks ago.

Frasers Group took on Base Childrenswear and Kids Cavern as part of a £47.5million deal in December 2022.

Other businesses were bought out as part of the deal including Pretty Green and Tessuti.

But the retail group has called in administrators for both Base Childrenswear and Kids Cavern just 16 months later.

Base Childrenswear currently runs four stores in Westfield London, Westfield Stratford, Bluewater and Birmingham.

Meanwhile, Kids Cavern has three stores across the UK in Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle.

But closing down sales have been launched in all seven branches after Frasers Group called in administrators Kroll Advisory, reports Drapers.

It is not clear at this time whether the seven branches are guaranteed to close.

We have asked Frasers Group how many stores will close as part of the administration process and we will update this story when we have heard back.

It comes after Frasers Group put luxury brand Matchesfashion into administration earlier this month, after saying it was no longer willing to keep the business running.

The brand launched as a single shop in Wimbledon, London, 30 years ago and now has around six locations, although it mostly operates online.

As of March 8, no store closures or job losses had been announced.

Frasers, which owns brands such as Sports Direct, Frasers, Slazenger and Jack Wills, bought out Matchesfashion in December last year.

The brand employs just under 700 people but Frasers said the business was “consistently” missing targets and making losses.

In the year to the end of January 2023, the brand made a £33.5million loss.

It comes as Frasers Group shakes up its portfolio across the UK amid a turbulent time for retailers.

House of Fraser, also owned by Frasers Group, is set to close its store in Carlisle in May.

The chain has shuttered several stores since last year, including in Birmingham, Cardiff and Guildford.

A Sports Direct branch in Stroud, Gloucestershire, will be pulling the shutters down for good at the end of March too.

Sports Direct also shuttered its branch in the Central Six Retail Park, Coventry, at the end of January.

The Flannels site in Market Place Shopping Centre, Bolton, pulled down its shutters for the final time in the new year.

It also shut its site in Bradford in January despite only opening back in October.

However, Frasers Group has been opening stores across the UK as well.

In recent months it has welcomed in customers to “new concept” stores which sell brands from across the group including Sports Direct and Jack Wills.

Last September, it cut the ribbon on one of the stores in Norwich and has opened two more of the stores in Blackpool and Sheffield in recent months.

Plus, it has plans to open one of the concept stores in a former John Lewis site at Queensgate Shopping Centre, Peterborough by the end of 2025.

The firm also recently took on the famous Compton House in Liverpool and will reopen the site as its flagship Sports Direct branch.

Frasers Group also snapped up luxury chain Choice in 2022 and has since rebranded some of them as Flannels.

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