Fri, 27 Jan 2023 | ADMINISTRATION
Bluespot Furniture, a West Yorkshire-based furniture manufacturer, has ceased trading and appointed administrators amid a sustained decline in demand post-COVID. Joint administrators James Sleight and Oliver Collinge of PKF GM will now seek to sell the firm’s remaining assets.
In the company’s latest accounts, for the year ending September 30 2021, it had around £588,000 in fixed assets, with current assets valued at £814,544. At the time, the company’s total liabilities stood at £104,178.
Bluespot Furniture operated in the commercial interiors, house building, build-to-rent and student accommodation markets, designing, manufacturing and installing furniture from its production facilities in Dewsbury.
Despite being a long-established manufacturer, the company has experienced a significant decline in turnover over the last few years, with demand for office furniture plummeting in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has established a long-term trend for working from home and hybrid working.
The firm’s struggles were compounded when its trading premises in Dewsbury were sold off by its landlord. The company’s entire workforce was made redundant, with administrators subsequently appointed on January 20 2023.
Joint administrator James Sleight said: "Unfortunately the demand for office furniture was understandably very low during COVID and is not expected to recover to pre pandemic levels.”
"The company had obtained support under various government schemes during the pandemic and with low demand, rising costs and pandemic debt to repay, the directors did not feel the business was sufficiently viable to justify continued trade.”
"Following our appointment, we are now supporting employees in accessing government redundancy support and seeking to maximise realisations through a disposal of the remaining company assets and collection of its book debt ledger.”
Regarding the struggles of businesses in the office furniture industry since the onset of COVID-19, Sleight added: "This is the second appointment over an office furniture manufacturer we've had since the pandemic. This sector is clearly experiencing significant challenges with the rise in hybrid and home working."
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