Adams 'poised for administration'


It has been a tough few months for well-known retailers

UK childrenswear retailer Adams has applied to go into administration, the BBC has learned.
The firm has applied to the administrators' court but has yet to be officially placed in administration.
Adams, which has 260 outlets in its nationwide chain and 166 outside the UK, employs about 2,000 people.
It joins a growing list of well-known chains going to the wall as retailers struggle, including Zavvi, MFI, Whittard and Woolworths.
PriceWaterhouse Coopers (PWC) are likely to be appointed administrators and take over the running of Adams until a new owner can be found.
A spokeswoman for PWC could not tell for sure when it would be formally appointed.
"They put the thing into court on Christmas Eve but I cannot really say much more than that," she said.
Insolvency fears
Adams is currently owned by the Northern Ireland businessman John Shannon, who bought the company early last year and closed 42 branches at the time of purchase.
The company, which is celebrating its 75th year, was originally founded in Birmingham.
Adams also makes clothes for health and beauty retailer Boots.
The insolvency experts Begbies Traynor predicted only a week ago that up to 15 national retail chains would go bust by mid-January.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7801952.stm