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Adams childrenswear company on the brink
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent29.12.08
CHILDRENSWEAR chain Adams was today poised to become the latest victim of the retail crisis after it applied to appoint administrators.
Adams's troubles follow the collapse of tea and coffee merchant Whittard of Chelsea, music chain Zavvi and menswear retailer The Officers Club, which all went into administration in the days before Christmas.
Both The Officers Club and Whittard were subsequently sold. Bids to rescue Woolworths have failed.
Adams has about 260 stores among its 500 distribution outlets in the UK, as well as making clothes for Boots, and employs around 2,000 people. The 75-year-old company gave notice of its intention to appoint PricewaterhouseCoopers as administrators in a court filing on Christmas Eve.
Up to 15 national retail chains are predicted to go bust by mid-January. Clinton Cards, Allied Carpets, JJB Sport and Land of Leather are among those struggling with growing debt and declining sales.
Reader views (5)
I am a former employee of Adams. I was sad when we were told that our jobs were no longer there with the company because it was such a happy place to work as all the staff in the store got on really well it was such a joy to work there. I heard today that John Shannon was able to take the company out of administration which is great news for the company. Hopefully no more closures instead they reopen the stores that they closed not so long ago. (its nice to have dreams isn't it haha)
- Ireland, Ireland
As a former employee of Adams i am so disapointed to see Adams on the brink of closure as i enjoyed my job very much.
- Claire Matthews, cramlington, U.K
I am still working at the moment at adams, we were one of the lucky one's who as stopped opened to the end.I have been working for this company for the past 10 years & enjoyed every day of it.I will be so sad to see it go. Not only have i bought my own children's clothes when they were younger i now buy my grandchildrens.I do hope that someone will save us, us girls there are a team & we all want to say that way not go differents ways.
- Lorrainemyerscough, Lancaster
Having read the news on Adams Childrenswear, it is sad news having worked for this company in the past i cannot help but hope that someone will financially support this company as it is one of the best employees in retail,i enjoyed my time with this company and to work with a team from H.O to store level , amazing people ,it will be sad to see this company with its values go to the wall .
I hope that the city will financially keep this buisness going as it is sad to see all the old ikons dissappearing.
Has the company offered employees an option to own a small part of this business by investing in the company!
People with more of an investment are loyal and staff retained and could help save this being another casualty of the times.
Or did David Carter Johnson not forsee this coming as this has gone the same way as Fosters menswear when he was the director their, one minute opening new stores the week after closing under liquidation.
Is everthing now going to be blamed on the credit crunch.
Sad to see Adams going.
Tracey,Barnsley
- Tracey Murphy, Barnsley,south yorkshire
I'm surprised they're going so quickly: Adams does good quality clothes for a reasonable price - I guess it's not quite as posh as Next or Gap, but not quite as cheap as Tesco, so falls between 2 markets . . . I'll certainly be sorry if they close.
- Roz, Chamonix, France
