The Original Factory Shop’s Melksham branch has closed (file photo) (Image: Getty)
A discount retailer has closed another branch after the high street chain plunged into administration. Joint administrators were appointed to The Original Factory Shop (TOFS) in January.
While TOFS online store closed, the chain’s 137 shops continued to trade as a going concern while the joint administrators explored options for the business, which was established in 1969. But the retailer’s branch in Melksham, Wiltshire, welcomed customers for the final time on Sunday (March 22).
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The Original Factory Shop was established in the late 1960s (Image: Getty)
In a final post on Facebook, the TOFS Melksham branch team wrote: “So our final post. Thank you to everyone who has shopped with us over the last 19 years and thank you to everyone who has worked with us.
We have made so many friends who we will miss and I’m sure who will miss us. Thank you all again from Net, Carol , Emma , Kelly , Amanda ,Annette and Jasmine x.”
Well-wishers lavished praise on the Melksham store’s staff in their responses to the post. One Facebook user posted: “You have been amazing and will be truly missed – as a new chapter begins I hope it is amazing for all of you.”
Another wrote: “Good luck everyone. You all have been amazing and thank you for your help and your service over the years. It’s been a pleasure to meet you all.”
Besides Melksham, TOFS presence in Corsham ended four days earlier as staff in the Wiltshire town posted a similar message on social media, thanking customers for their support and messages of support.
While stocks last, customers can snap up bargains at remaining branches, where prices are up to 50% off as a thanks for their loyalty, according to TOFS website.
The administration put around 1,220 staff across The Original Factory Shop at risk.
Owner, Modella Capital, which specialises in retain investment, said the company doesn’t have a realistic chance of being profitable again. Modella blamed a challenging climate on Britain’s high streets for the financial troubles.
A number of high profile firms have gone bust so far this year, affecting thousands of jobs, including American-inspired restaurant chain TGI Fridays, accessories retailer Claire’s and Revolution Bars owner The Revel Collective.
Company administrations in the UK rose 30% year on year in February to 146. January saw 152 firms call in administrators, according to figures from The Insolvency Service.
Experts said the cost shock being caused by the Iran conflict and rocketing oil prices could push company failures even higher, with inflation set to rise once more and interest rates now expected to stay higher for longer.
