LINGERIE chain La Senza has gone into administration – triggering 1,300 redundancies and the closure of more than 100 outlets.
Administrator KPMG said it had closed 84 stores and 18 concessions – resulting in more than half of the workforce losing their jobs.
But 1,100 jobs were saved when 60 of its stores were bought by Arabian retail group Alshaya, which owns stakes in a number of British retailers including Next, Debenhams and Mothercare.
The future of the La Senza store at Kingsgate in Huddersfield – which opened only in October last year – was unclear last night.
Alshaya bought the stores in a controversial “pre-pack” administration deal that allows the assets of companies to be snapped up while its debts are written off.
La Senza, owned by private equity firm Lion Capital, announced its intention before Christmas to appoint an administrator in the face of tough trading and the cost of leases agreed by sister lingerie chain Contessa with which it merged in 2007.
