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Mamas & Papas collapses into administration just six days after Mothercare goes bust
9 November 2019, 11:28
The nursery brand and manufacturer is closing six of its UK stores – here's the full list of axed branches.
Mamas & Papas has announced it's going into pre-packed administration and will close six of its UK stores.
Just days after rival brand Mothercare went bust, the children's clothing and pushchair retailer revealed it was making 73 staff instantly redundant and putting a further 54 jobs at risk.
Pulling stores off the high-street in Aberdeen, Fareham, Leamington, Lincoln, Milton Keynes and Preston, the British company admitted it was necessary to save the business.
Bosses believe in-branch sales are dwindling due to the fact that more customers are choosing to shop online, however its remaining 26 stores and concessions will continue to trade as normal.
Mamas & Papas chief executive Riccardo Cincotta said: “These actions are always difficult but they are also necessary in a challenging market to ensure Mamas & Papas achieves its considerable future potential.
“We remain fully focused on maintaining our position as the UK’s most popular nursery brand.
“We will continue to review our store portfolio in the light of customers’ changing behaviour and we remain fully committed to an omni-channel offering that reflects their evolving needs.”
Mamas & Papas was originally founded in Huddersfield in 1981 by David and Luisa Scacchetti.
The duo first started the business in the hope they would bring Italian design to the British baby buggy market.
In 2014, they sold the company to private equity firm Bluegem Capital following a restructuring process.
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In the wake of the news, managing partner at Bluegem, Marco Capello, said: "As long-term owners of the business, we remain fully committed to supporting Mamas & Papas on its growth journey.
“The business now has a solid platform from which to achieve this ambition, so we can look forward to the future with confidence.”
British baby brand Mothercare collapsed and went bust earlier this week.
The children's store, which first hit the high-street in 1961, announced it was shutting down 79 branches across the country, causing the loss of 2,500 jobs.
