A significant blow has been struck to the British high street as The Original Factory Shop, a prominent retail chain operating 137 stores across the UK, has collapsed into administration. This development places every one of its outlets at immediate risk of permanent closure, marking a sombre moment for communities nationwide that have long relied on the retailer.
Administrators Confirm Trading Challenges Led to Collapse
Rick Harrison, managing director at Interpath and joint administrator, provided a statement acknowledging the chain's historic role. "The Original Factory Shop has long been a cornerstone of local high streets up and down the country," he said. "Unfortunately, however, trading challenges have impacted the business such that the company had to be placed into administration."
Harrison confirmed that administrators will work closely with the dedicated team of employees in the coming weeks. The immediate goal is to operate all stores as a going concern while various options for the future of the business are assessed. This process will determine whether any stores can be saved or if the entire network will shutter.
Customer Orders and Online Operations
For customers, there is a small piece of clarity amidst the uncertainty. Any online sales completed before the administration announcement will be fulfilled and delivered as normal. However, the company's website is now completely unavailable, halting all new online transactions and leaving the future of its digital presence in doubt.
Full List of 137 The Original Factory Shop Locations at Risk
The administration affects a vast network of stores spanning England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The comprehensive list of locations now facing an uncertain future includes:
- Abergele, Wales
- Alnwick, Northumberland
- Annan, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
- Ashington, Northumberland
- Atherstone, Warwickshire
- Attleborough, Norfolk
- Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland
- Ballycastle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
- Bangor, Wales
- Barmouth, Wales
- Barton-upon-Humber, Lincolnshire
- Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland
- Bexhill, East Sussex
- Biggin Hill, Greater London
- Bishops Cleeve, Gloucestershire
- Brandon, Suffolk
- Bridgnorth, Shropshire
- Bridport, Dorset
- Buckie, Banffshire, Scotland
- Bungay, Suffolk
- Cainscross, Gloucestershire
- Calne, Wiltshire
- Campbeltown, Argyll, Scotland
- Cardigan, Wales
- Carluke, Lanarkshire
- Carterton, Oxfordshire
- Castle Douglas, Scotland
- Cinderford, Gloucestershire
- Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire
- Clitheroe, Lancashire
- Congleton, Cheshire
- Corsham, Wiltshire
- Cowdenbeath, Fife, Scotland
- Cranleigh, Surrey
- Crewkerne, Somerset
- Cromer, Norfolk
- Crowborough, East Sussex
- Dalry, Ayrshire, Scotland
- Downham Market, Norfolk
- Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland
- East Dereham, Norfolk
- Egremont, Cumbria
- Felixstowe, Suffolk
- Forfar, Angus, Scotland
- Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
- Frodsham, Cheshire
- Galston, Ayrshire, Scotland
- Garforth, West Yorkshire
- Garstang, Lancashire
- Gillingham, Dorset
- Gorleston, Norfolk
- Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland
- Harleston, Norfolk
- Haslemere, Surrey
- Headcorn, Kent
- Heathfield, East Sussex
- Hereford, Herefordshire
- Holbeach, Lincolnshire
- Holsworthy, Devon
- Horncastle, Lincolnshire
- Hornsea, East Yorkshire
- Kelso, Roxburghshire, Scotland
- Kippax, West Yorkshire
- Kirkintilloch, Dunbartonshire, Scotland
- Lampeter, Wales
- Lanark, Lanarkshire
- Lancaster, Lancashire
- Langold, Nottinghamshire
- Leiston, Suffolk
- Leominster, Herefordshire
- Lutterworth, Leicestershire
- Lydney, Gloucestershire
- Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire
- Machynlleth, Wales
- Melksham, Wiltshire
- Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire
- Milngavie, Dunbartonshire, Scotland
- Minehead, Somerset
- Monifieth, Angus, Scotland
- Montrose, Angus, Scotland
- Nailsea, Somerset
- New Ollerton, Nottinghamshire
- Newhaven, East Sussex
- Newquay, Cornwall
- Northallerton, North Yorkshire
- Oban, Argyll, Scotland
- Oxted, Surrey
- Penrith, Cumbria
- Plympton, Devon
- Porth, Wales
- Porthmadog, Wales
- Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
- Prudhoe, Northumberland
- Pwllheli, Wales
- Redruth, Cornwall
- Ripon, North Yorkshire
- Romsey, Hampshire
- Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire
- Rushden, Northamptonshire
- Rustington, West Sussex
- Saltash, Cornwall
- Saxmundham, Suffolk
- Seaton, Devon
- Sherborne, Dorset
- Shildon, County Durham
- Shotts, Lanarkshire
- Skegness, Lincolnshire
- Sleaford, Lincolnshire
- Snettisham, Norfolk
- South Molton, Devon
- Southam, Warwickshire
- Spilsby, Lincolnshire
- St Clears, Wales
- Stalham, Norfolk
- Stanley, County Durham
- Stewarton, Ayrshire, Scotland
- Stonehaven, Kincardineshire
- Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland
- Stranraer, Wigtownshire, Scotland
- Sturminster Newton, Dorset
- Tenterden, Kent
- Thurso, Caithness, Scotland
- Tiptree, Essex
- Todmorden, West Yorkshire
- Tranent, East Lothian, Scotland
- Troon, Ayrshire, Scotland
- Ulverston, Cumbria
- Warrenpoint, County Down, Northern Ireland
- Warwick, Warwickshire
- Watton, Norfolk
- Whitby, North Yorkshire
- Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire
- Wigton, Cumbria
- Withernsea, East Yorkshire
- Wokingham, Berkshire
- Wrentham, Suffolk
- Wymondham, Norfolk
The collapse of The Original Factory Shop represents a stark reminder of the ongoing pressures facing the traditional retail sector in the UK. As administrators begin their work, employees, customers, and local communities await news on the fate of these high street fixtures.
