CLOTHING AND HOMEWARE RETAILER MUJI IS SET TO CALL IN ADMINISTRATORS IN LATEST BLOW FOR BRITAIN'S STRUGGLING HIGH STREET

The European arm of Japanese retailer Muji is going into administration
Muji's spokesman stressed this will have no immediate impact on shops or staff
Recently, high streets were hit by news of Papa Johns and Body Shop closures

The European arm of Japanese clothing and homeware retailer Muji is set to appoint administrators, in another gloomy signal for the UK's struggling high street.

The spokesman for the business, which has six stores in London and one in Birmingham, said the move forms part of a 'planned strategic restructuring of the business', and that it expects to shortly reach a deal.

This week has already seen reports that Revolution Bars is considering shutting 20 locations, pizza chain Papa Johns is to close 43 restaurants and 400 jobs at The Co-operative Bank are to be cut.

Muji stressed the administration process will have no immediate impact on shops, staff and the general running of the chain.

'For Muji's colleagues and customers in Europe it is business as usual. All stores and e-commerce will continue to operate as before, and all new and outstanding orders will be fulfilled,' the firm said.

Muji was launched in Japan in 1980 and sells a range including clothes, stationery, homeware, beauty products and cupboard essentials

It is known for its focus on Japanese-inspired simple and functional goods and also has stores across mainland Europe and the Nordics.

Staff approached by MailOnline said that they could not comment on the situation having been asked to direct journalists to the company's media office.

The news follows difficulties for a string of well-known high street retailers.

The Body Shop announced in February it was calling in administrators, subsequently announcing the closure of nearly half of its UK stores.

Earlier this month, the company behind fashion brand Ted Baker appointed administrators, putting hundreds of jobs at risk across its 46 UK stores.

The high-profile collapse of the historic chain Wilko last year led to the closure of its 400 shops and almost all of its 12,500 workers being made redundant.

2024-03-28T17:24:03Z dg43tfdfdgfd