Customers are left in the dark as Confetti goes into administration

Confetti was sold by home shopping group Findel to The Hut Group last Friday along with gadget etailer Iwantoneofthose.com for £600,000. The Hut Group subsequently put Confetti into administration on Tuesday. It is believed Findel was unaware of The Hut Group’s intentions prior to the sale.

Iwantoneofthose.com was not put into administration but anger over Confetti from Findel workers led to staff at the Iwantoneofthose.com warehouse locking out The Hut Group when it came to take over.

The five Confetti stores have been shut and administrator RSM Tenon has said it is now “urgently” seeking a buyer for the remaining online business with a closing date for offers of August 23. Some 56 staff have already been axed and 46 will be retained.

Customers have flooded Confetti’s website with messages such as: “I am starting to panic as I don’t want this to affect my wedding later this year,” and “What is happening? Will the stock ever be sold for us to buy? I am so upset.”

Customers who call up are being told via voice message that they will be contacted via email to update them on their orders.

A message from Confetti on its site said: “I am really sorry to tell you that Confetti was sold last week to The Hut Group. And in spite of assurances that the company would invest in the business, this is unfortunately not the case. The Hut Group has, in fact, passed the Confetti brand on in to administration.”

The Hut Group, which has bought several etail businesses over the past year such as the Zavvi brand and plans to float in the future to fund growth, declined to comment.