Fashion chain D2 has become the first post-Christmas retail casualty, falling into administration on Wednesday.

D2 has 76 stores in the UK and three in Ireland.

Two of the Irish stores have closed, but all the others are trading as usual while administrator BDO attempts to find a buyer. 22 people have been made redundant at its headquarters in Ayrshire.

“The economic climate and difficult trading conditions have significantly affected the retail sector,” said BDO partner James Stephen. “We are continuing to trade the business and hope to sell all or part of the company as a going concern.”

D2 was formerly owned by Sir Tom Hunter, but he sold it in 2008 to a management buyout team.