Sun, 08 Apr 2018 | BUSINESS SALE
Struggling baby and toddler clothing retailer Mothercare is fast running out of cash and believed to be investigating new avenues to raise finance quickly.
If these initiatives fail, it is near certain that the share price of Mothercare will spiral downwards, leaving the firm as easy pickings for retail vulture funds and entrepreneurs looking for distressed turnaround opportunities.
Mothercare has called in KPMG for restructuring advice and has been in talks with its lenders, including Barclays and HSBC about raising funding limits. It is believed the lenders have agreed temporary advances till May. It is possible they had a hand in the removal of CEO Mark Newton-Jones who was appointed to the position four years ago. Newton-Jones, who has spent his time trying to move the business more firmly into the online arena, was jettisoned suddenly last Wednesday and replaced with ex-Tesco man David Wood.
Online sales have not increased as fast as expected and indeed dropped 6.9 per cent over the Christmas quarter, nearly as bad as the 7.2 per cent fall in store sales over the period.
The cashflow crisis is believed to be at an emergency level with the talks at KPMG involving Mothercare entering into a company voluntary arrangement (CVA). In this scenario one of the obvious moves would be to immediately shut down loss-producing stores.
Founded by James Goldsmith and Selim Zilkhar in 1961, Mothercare has grown into a global business with over 1000 international franchises and 140 stores in the UK. The business recorded a £16.8m pre-tax loss in the half-year to October 2017, on sales of £340m.
The company is a retailer of used cars, operating a popular e-commerce website that attracts customers nationwide. The business sells high-quality used vehicles, offering a comprehensive range of popular makes and models, and all its vehicles are ful...
LEASEHOLD
Established business with nationwide reputation. A client base offering extensive market-leading product range from well-fitted industrial warehouse, as well as office premises in convenient commercial location.
FREEHOLD
Very established craft bakery with impressive reputation and regular customer base offering wide range of premium quality products.
LEASEHOLD
27
|
Mar
|
Acquisitive IT firm makes latest deal after securing fresh funding | BUSINESS SALE
Everything Tech Group, an acquisitive Manchester-based manag...
27
|
Mar
|
Corby telematics firm sold to EOT | BUSINESS SALE
An international telematics company based in Corby has been ...
26
|
Mar
|
Fairstone completes latest acquisition with Nottingham deal | BUSINESS SALE
Financial planning consolidator Fairstone Financial Manageme...
10
|
Mar
|
£32m turnover Angus Steakhouse appeals to landlords with administration looming | ADMINISTRATION
London’s popular Angus Steakhouse chain has appealed t...
21
|
Jan
|
ProCook considering sale as it undertakes strategic review | BUSINESS NEWS
Kitchenware retailer ProCook is to undertake a strategic rev...
09
|
Dec
|
Administrators seek buyer for garden machinery firm | ADMINISTRATION
Shropshire-based garden machinery company Oakley’s has...
Business Sale Report is your complete solution to finding great acquisition opportunities.
Join today to receive:
All this and much more, including the latest M&A news and exclusive resources
Please choose your settings for this site below. For more information please read our Cookie Policy
These cookies are necessary for our website to function properly and provide you with access to all features.
These are analytics cookies that help us to improve the way our website works.
These are used to improve the functional performance of the website and make it easier for you to use.