KPMG has been appointed administrator to the business and its subsidiary company Empire Property UK at the request of the directors.
The Leeds-based company, which has a turnover of£150m, operates primarily online but had 14 retail outlets, which have now closed. The administrator has made 158 out of 350 staff redundant.
Empire Direct hit the buffers after suffering in the economic downturn and subsequently experiencing a drop in sales from the middle of last year. It was also affected by the withdrawal of credit insurance to its suppliers in October.
KPMG said parties interested in acquiring any assets of the business should contact them as soon as possible.
KPMG joint administrator and restructuring partner Mark Firmin said: “Low stock levels and operating losses mean the business cannot continue to trade in administration.
"We are working hard with the remaining employees to establish a list of customers with outstanding orders and much of our immediate effort will be focused on communicating with them."
Customers can contact the administrator using a dedicated email address on Empiredirect.co.uk or call 0871 472 9000.
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