Longtime furniture chain announces store closures after filing for bankruptcy

After it **filed for bankruptcy**, the chain has begun announcing **store closures**, leaving shoppers scrambling for deliveries, refunds and those half-forgotten **gift cards** tucked in wallets. For thousands of staff, it’s a week of boxed-up showrooms, taped-off display sets and a question that hurts: what happens next?

The notice went up before lunch, taped to the glass beside a sun-faded poster for a spring sofa sale. Inside, a couple sat quietly on a footstool, staring at a rug they’d measured for months, while a sales assistant folded fabric swatches no one would borrow again. *The silence in the showroom felt heavier than the leather recliners.*

By three o’clock, the clearance tags were everywhere, bright as sirens. A mum with a buggy asked if her dining table would still arrive by Friday; the manager nodded, then stared at the order screen like it might blink back. He said they’d “do their best” and meant it. The doors won’t all reopen.

What’s actually happening — and why an old name is shrinking

The chain has entered bankruptcy protection to restructure, cut liabilities and renegotiate leases that no longer stack up. That process gives breathing room, but it also triggers difficult calls on underperforming stores. Accounts departments look at rent, rates, footfall and local basket size, then circle the branches where the numbers have sagged.

Retail has shifted under everyone’s feet. Customers browse on phones, collect from depots, and expect next-day delivery to a third-floor flat with awkward stairs. In several towns, big-box units at the edge of retail parks lost their weekend pull, replaced by smaller showrooms acting as sample hubs. On many high streets, roughly one in seven premises is empty, and furniture stores need sheer space, which costs.

Supply and cost pressure hasn’t helped. Freight spiked, then eased, then spiked again; foam and timber prices jumped; and higher interest rates made big-ticket buys easier to postpone. When households pause, sofas sit. Add in costly returns on bulky items and online giants squeezing margins, and a legacy chain with long leases starts to creak. Restructuring trims that load, yet it rarely leaves every storefront intact.

What shoppers can do now — quick moves that actually help

Move fast on anything time-sensitive. If you have an open order, call the branch or central line and confirm dispatch status, carrier, and an ETA you can screenshot. If collection is an option, consider picking up sooner to keep your order out of any warehouse shuffle. Pay by credit card where possible, so Section 75 or chargeback routes are open if things wobble.

Don’t sit on credits or vouchers. Gift cards can be paused during restructuring, then reactivated or capped, and the rules may change midstream. Redeem them on something you actually need, not a panic buy that gathers dust. Let’s be honest: no one actually reads the small print every day. Take photos of receipts, warranties and the in-store price tag before you leave. It takes two minutes and saves hours later.

Talk to staff, kindly and clearly. If you need a partial refund, ask whether it’s processed by the store or head office, and get a written note on timing. If you’re buying in a closing sale, clarify whether “final sale” excludes faults covered by consumer law.

“Bankruptcy isn’t a magic eraser,” says one insolvency lawyer. “Your statutory consumer rights remain. What changes is who pays and how quickly.”

• Keep: order confirmation, payment proof, delivery promise.
• Note: branch contact, case number, name of the person you spoke to.
• Screenshot: product page, warranty terms, sale wording on signage.
• Use credit card where you can; consider a small deposit, then balance on delivery.

What this moment says about how we furnish our lives

We’ve all had that moment where the dream sofa meets the real hallway, and the tape measure tells its own story. The way we shop has grown more fluid, hopping from a TikTok mood board to a click-and-collect counter, from a designer collab to a second-hand treasure. Legacy chains sit in the middle, trying to be everywhere at once — showroom, adviser, warehouse, courier.

Bankruptcy and closures feel brutal, yet they also reveal what stays valuable. Good advice on fabric that survives a cat. Delivery teams who call when they’re delayed. A returns policy that doesn’t make you feel like a nuisance. If the chain that taught your parents about corner units comes back leaner, it will be because it chose those things. The rest was noise.

The lights dim, the sale signs shout, and the story moves on. Some stores will lock up; others will get a second act in smaller spaces, or online-only, or as concessions inside busier shops. There’s a lesson here about buying slower and documenting better, about asking for real dates instead of hopeful ones.

Brands age, but homes don’t wait. If you need a bed for a child arriving next month, you’ll still need a bed. If a warranty matters, it still matters. Share what you learn with friends in the group chat, and compare notes on delivery windows, card protections, and which branches feel steady.

Shoppers often think their single order is a speck in a storm. It isn’t. Records, receipts and polite persistence make systems behave. The people on the other end are scared about their own pay packets, which is why a calm voice stands out. Your sofa shouldn’t be a cliff-hanger. Your Saturday shouldn’t be a spreadsheet.

FAQ :

• Which stores are closing?Locations are being announced in waves by the company and landlords; check the official store finder and local branch notices for the latest list.
• What happens to my order?Orders already dispatched usually proceed; pending orders may be prioritised, delayed, or cancelled with a refund route. Get your status in writing.
• Are gift cards and credits still valid?They can be paused during the court process, then reinstated, capped, or exchanged for discounts. Try to redeem sooner rather than later.
• Will prices drop further if I wait?Some lines get steeper cuts near the end, but popular items and sizes sell out quickly. Waiting can mean missing the item altogether.
• Do warranties survive bankruptcy?Statutory consumer rights remain. Store-backed warranties may change or transfer to a third party; keep all documents and ask for updated terms.