The remainder of Beales department stores are likely to shut after the retailer’s administrator said it had received no “deliverable offers” for the business.
The expected closures will bring to an end 139 years of trading following the collapse of the retailer last month.
Twelve store closures had already been announced and redundancies made at head office, and now the final 11 are poised to follow, the BBC reported.
Administrator KPMG said it was still talking to a number of interested parties about a possible sale of Beales, but that no “deliverable” offers have been made and preparations are under way for the closures. Closing down Sales are expected to run for about eight weeks.
Beales joint administrator Will Wright said: “We’d like to thank all Beales employees for their wholehearted support and assistance during the administration process.
“We understand that the failure to achieve a sale so far will come as disappointing news, but can assure them that we will continue in our efforts to secure some form of positive outcome.”
Beales is the latest department store business to suffer in harsh trading conditions and as shopper habits change. The retailer lost £3.1m last year and has blamed the burden of business rates as a big factor in its problems.
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