Mamas & Papas administration – SIX stores set to close just days after Mothercare goes bust
MAMAS & Papas is closing six loss-making stores in a type of administration - just days after rival bigger Mothercare went bust.
The nursery products brand has made 73 staff redundant with immediate effect and has put 54 further jobs at risk within its head office.
The retailer blamed “more customers choosing to shop online” as well as in store for the closures.
The impacted loss-making stores, which employed 73 staff, are located at the following areas: Aberdeen, Preston, Milton Keynes, Lincoln, Leamington and Fareham.
The firm's remaining 26 stores will continue to trade as normal.
Mamas & Papas also has a couple of Next concessions. Their products are also sold by retailers like John Lewis.
Chief executive Riccardo Cincotta said: “These actions are always difficult but they are also necessary in a challenging market to ensure Mamas & Papas achieves its considerable future potential.
“We remain fully focused on maintaining our position as the UK’s most popular nursery brand.
“We will continue to review our store portfolio in the light of customers’ changing behaviour and we remain fully committed to an omni-channel offering that reflects their evolving needs.”
Bluegem Capital, which has owned the business since 2014, has bought the company assets back through a pre-pack administration, a process which will allow it to cut some of its financial liabilities.
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Marco Capello, managing partner at Bluegem Capital said: “The business now has a solid platform from which to achieve this ambition, so we can look forward to the future with confidence.”
Mothercare UK went bust earlier this week, announcing its 79 stores in the UK would shut with the loss of 2,500 jobs.
The baby and children's wear specialist, which has been on the UK high street since 1961, had been struggling for months due to poor sales.