PwC take over at Brantano as shoe seller is placed in administration

Brantano operates 140 stores and 60 concessions across the UK employing around 2,000 staff, 23 of the retailer’s outlets are in Scotland and employ just under 200 people.

PwC said the company, which was acquired by Alteri Investors in October 2015 and has its head office in Coalville, Leicestershire, has experienced difficult trading conditions that have forced the company into administration, “despite sustained efforts to make the business more commercially viable”.

Tony Barrell, lead administrator at PwC, said: “The continuing challenging conditions for ‘bricks and mortar’ retail stores are well documented. Like many others, Brantano has been hit hard by the change in consumers’ shopping habits and the evolution of the UK retail environment.

It is the first sizeable retailer to fall into administration following Christmas trading and PwC pledged that wages, which had not been paid yet,would be transferred to staff.

Mr Barrell added: “The administrators are continuing to trade the businesses as normal whilst we assess the trading strategy over the coming days and weeks.

Staff will be paid their arrears of wages and salaries, and will continue to be paid for their work during the Administration.”

Robert Moran, deals partner at PwC, is leading the sales process and said: “Brantano is an established value shoe retailer in the UK and Jones Bootmaker/Brantano businesses attracted considerable interest during the 2015 sales process. We are now assessing interest in the UK Brantano business as a whole or its parts and we welcome approaches from interested parties.”