Administrators have high hopes for Alworths takeover

Administrators of high street store Alworths have voiced confidence that the chain will be taken over.

Several potential new owners are said to have expressed interest since the firm, which has shops in Cupar and Forfar, was placed into administration last week.

Signs have been put up in branches advertising a closing down sale, but it is understood that is standard practice in the circumstances and the chain’s 235 employees remain in jobs.

A spokesman for Leonard Curtis, whose representatives Neil Bennett and Michael Healy are handling the administration, said it was hoped that Alworths would continue trading under new ownership.

He said, “They are talking to a number of parties. There are clearly a lot of people interested.”

Surrey-based Alworths, which has 17 stores in Scotland, England and Wales, was established following the demise of Woolworths by former Woolworths head of store and concessions Andy Latham.

When the Cupar and Forfar branches opened last summer, many of their staff members were former Woolworths employees.

Shortly before being placed into adminstration, the business had been acquired by investors from its previous owners.