Habitat stores enter administration as part of sale

[dutchman]

All but three UK Habitat stores are being put into administration in a deal to sell the indebted furniture chain.



Home Retail Group, owner of Argos and Homebase, will buy the Habitat brand and three central London stores for £24.5m in cash.

Habitat has appointed administrators for its other 30 outlets, which will continue trading for now.

HRG will retain 100 staff at the London stores and 50 in "brand support", which includes Habitat's furniture designers.

It is unclear what will happen to Habitat's other 750 employees, including those at the branches in administration.