Homebase rescues Bathstore from administration

Homebase has bought collapsed retailer Bathstore out of administration, taking control of 44 stores. However, the remaining 91 outlets will close. These will trade for “a number” of weeks, until their display stock is sold off. The chain had 135 shops across its estate when it fell into administration last month. It is thought that around 36 of these have already closed. Ryan Grant, business restructuring partner at administrator BDO, said: “In a difficult situation, we have been able to secure the future of the Bathstore brand and the transfer of 44 stores to Homebase to maximise realisations for creditors and protect as many jobs as possible.” Stores included in the sale to Homebase: Aylesbury Basildon Braintree Bristol Bristol Filton Burton Upon Trent Cardiff Cheadle Chester Saltney Chesterfield Christchurch Crawley Edinburgh Morningside Enfield Glasgow Central Guildford Harlow Haywards Heath Hereford High Wycombe Hitchin Hull Huntingdon Ipswich Jesmond Maidstone Milton Keynes Newbury Newcastle under Lyme North Finchley Norwich Plymouth Reading Richmond Ruislip St Austell Stirling Surbiton Sutton Tunbridge Wells Vauxhall Walton on Thames Wandsworth Warrington To send feedback, e-mail pui-guan.man@egi.co.uk or tweet @PuiGuanM or @estatesgazette