Maplin staff made redundant as hopes of finding buyer fade

Maplin’s administrator has made more than 60 head office staff redundant as hopes of finding a buyer for the collapsed electronics chain fade.

The retailer, which has 2,300 employees, entered administration last week after talks with a potential buyer collapsed.

On Thursday, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the administrator, said 63 people were being let go at Maplin’s headquarters in London and Rotherham.

PwC said all affected staff had been informed and would be paid up to and including their last day of employment. Toby Underwood, one of the joint administrators, said PwC was still seeking offers for Maplin.

“We still believe there is strong value in the company and we remain focused on doing all we can to preserve the business while we continue trying to achieve a sale,” he said.

Maplin’s 200 stores have continued to trade as normal, but PwC warned that unless a buyer came forward soon, it would begin closing them down.

“It is with real regret that we have made this decision [on jobs],” Underwood said. “Maplin is continuing to trade, but due to a lack of interest, we may be required to initiate a controlled closure programme.”

Source: theguardian