Durham Pine and Feather and Black go into administration
Furniture chain Durham Pine and bed retailer Feather and Black have become the latest casualties in the home furnishing sector.

Sunderland-based Durham Pine collapsed into administration yesterday and has called in PricewaterhouseCoopers to find a buyer for the company. Feather and Black has also been forced into administration.

Durham Pine has 31 stores nationwide and the administration of the company means 200 jobs are at risk.

PricewaterhouseCoopers joint administrator Ian Green said: 'Unfortunately, the deteriorating retail market has led directors to conclude that the group does not have sufficient funds to support ongoing operations.'

Feather and Black, formerly known as The Iron Bed Company, operates 22 stores across the UK and sells a range of bedroom furniture and furnishings, employing 118 people.

Partners at the Leeds office of Kroll's Corporate Advisory & Restructuring Group have been appointed as administrators for Feather and Black, and want to sell the business as a going concern.

The furniture sector has been hit hard by falling house prices and a decline in consumer confidence. Courts, Furnitureland and Allders have all been recent casualties.

Topics