High street fears as retailer with 140 shops calls in administrators again

A major high street chain could be on the brink of collapse as it calls in administrators for the second time in a fortnight, putting at risk all its 140 stores and 1,220 jobs

Our high streets could soon be looking even emptier as a leading chain has announced that it’s seeking to appoint administrators, its second such announcement within two weeks.

The Original Factory Shop (TOFS), whose 140 stores stock everything from clothing to homeware, beauty products, and toys, issued its first notice on January 5 then another on Friday (January 16).

The move buys precious time for the desperate directors to come up with a survival plan. But the bosses have only 10 days to find a “white knight” investor or a new buyer to rescue their business. While the stores are still open, the chain’s survival now seems unlikely.

When filing a similar notice for Claire’s Accessories in early January, a spokesperson for the firm said the “very tough decision” was unavoidable, The Sun reported.

“We have worked intensively in an effort to save the business, making last-ditch attempts to rescue it, but it has no realistic prospect of trading profitably again.”

The retailer has been hammered by a “perfect storm” of challenges. Bosses blame a lack of consumer confidence along with tough government policies and surging inflation.

Insolvency experts from Interpath Advisory are now poised to step in. A moratorium will keep creditors at bay while bosses scramble to develop a survival plan.

The new notice from TOFS shows how the chain’s troubles have deepened since it applied to appoint administrators on January 5. Insiders say a “disastrous” decision to switch to a new logistics provider sparked collapse, according to The Sun.

Supply chain chaos meant the retailer couldn’t get stock onto shelves when it mattered most.

TOFS has reportedly missed out on the discount boom amid the UK’s cost-of-living crisis. Bargain-hunters flocked to its rivals like B&M and Home Bargains instead.

Modella Capital, which owns Hobbycraft, bought the troubled chain in February 2025 after Duke Street Capital had spent two years trying to shed it.

The retailer is understood to be keeping its doors open as administrators hunt for a buyer who can save the brand and protect the jobs of its 1,220 staff across the country.

MOFS was founded in 1969 by the Black family in Keighley to sell surplus soap. But the chain expanded its product range to include clothing, homeware, beauty products, toys, and more. The company had 185 outlets by 2011.

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.