Carpetright store shuts as UK owner in administration
The lights were on, but no one was at home as Guernsey’s Carpetright store shut yesterday after the company fell into administration.
Calls made by the Guernsey Press at 3pm yesterday afternoon went unanswered and people around the Admiral Park site, including Ferryspeed delivery drivers, were unaware that the store had been closed with immediate effect, as store lights were on.
However, signs posted in the windows stated that the company apologised for the inconvenience, but had been forced to shut due to ‘challenging trading conditions’.
The closures of more than 200 stores across the UK followed what the company called changing customer preferences and a post-pandemic decline in spending on home improvements.
It also suffered a cyber attack in April, which left it unable to trade for a period of time, according to administrators from PwC in the UK.
Upon appointment on Monday, the administrators immediately completed a sale of 54 stores and two logistics sites to the rival flooring retailer Tapi Group.
The move saved over 300 jobs, but the Guernsey store was not included on the list.
A later list confirmed Guernsey’s and Jersey’s stores were among the 213 stores to be closed.
In addition to a number of staff losing their jobs, customers have been left questioning what will happen to orders.
One local customer said they had finally placed a long-awaited order to replace their carpet after waiting for a bathroom refurbishment to finish.
‘Having waited for three years to find builders [and] plumbers to revamp our bathroom, we have watched the carpet in our hall and stairs get gradually worse,’ they said.
‘We’ve only just ordered and paid for a new carpet to be fitted – thank goodness we paid for the purchase on our credit card and therefore stand a good chance of getting reimbursed.’
They added they felt sorry for every other customer in the same situation as well as the staff who lost their jobs ‘through no fault of their own’.
The Carpetright website states the company stopped taking payments from people who placed orders after 12 July.
Those with orders placed before 12 July are advised to start getting a section 75 refund if they paid by credit card.
Any home visits already booked with Carpetright will not happen.
