The DVD rental chain Blockbuster is to shut 72 stores in Britain, with the loss of 452 jobs, after going into administration earlier this week.(Bedroom Rack)
The closures represent the loss of about a quarter of its 264 outlets and 2,000-strong workforce.(Bedroom Rack)
On Monday the chain, which has been hit hard by competition from supermarkets as well as the rise of online rentals, went into administration for the second time this year.
Administrators at Moorfields Corporate Recovery on Thursday said talks with potential buyers of parts of the business continued and a further update would be issued within the next seven days.(Bedroom Rack)
It was understood that employees were being informed of the job losses on Thursday morning. In a statement, the administrators said: "This has not been an easy decision to make and we acknowledge that, with Christmas on the horizon, this will be extremely upsetting news to a large number of people, most of all those affected by the store closures."(Bedroom Rack)
"We must reiterate that, as part of our attempts to turn around the business, today's decision is necessary if parts of Blockbuster are to be saved and a buyer found."
Since its previous rescue from administration by private equity group Gordon Brothers Europe in March, it has had poor trading across both rental and retail sales, the statement said.
At the time of its initial collapse in January, Blockbuster had 528 stores in the UK employing 4,190 staff.(Bedroom Rack)
The firm announced at the end of last month that it was to go into administration again and did so on Monday, having failed to find a buyer in the meantime.
While the administrators say parts of the business have attracted interest, some are only eyeing up store sites to be taken over in the same way as Morrisons snapped up 49 former outlets earlier this year as part of its convenience store expansion.
Last week the axe fell on 300 Blockbuster stores in America, leaving the once-dominant chain with just 50 franchised shops in the country.(Sock Display)
