Bensons for Beds has snapped up 19 former Carpetright stores following the flooring retailer’s administration last month.
The bed specialist plans to start trading from the new units within the next few months and is proactively targeting ex-Carpetright colleagues to join its network of retail staff.
The acquistion forms part of Bensons’ physical expansion plans to open up to 40 new stores over the next few years.
The ex-Carpetright stores it has acquired are located in Aberdeen, Ashton, Belfast, Canterbury, Edmonton, Exeter, Irvine, Kettering, Old Kent Road, Oldbury, Portsmouth, Salisbury, Slough, Sutton, Torquay, Bath, Eastbourne, Gillingham and Solihull.
Related Story
Bensons chief executive Nick Collard said: “Increasing the number of Bensons stores remains a key growth priority and we are excited about this opportunity to take on 19 store units.
“Today’s announcement supports our overall plan to expand our current 162 strong store estate to over 200 over the next few years.”
“Whilst market conditions for higher ticket purchases have remained very challenging, Bensons has continued to make real progress, by remaining focused on those things in our control.”
Collard added: “Since our return to profitability in 2023, we’ve continued to see significant market share gains across all our core categories, reflecting the hard work from all our colleagues across the organisation.
“This work, alongside the announcement today on the new stores, leaves us well placed when the wider market starts to recover, allowing us to realise the longer term ambitions for Bensons and its colleagues.”
Carpetright collapsed into administration in July blaming a “big reduction in consumer spending due to cost of living pressures, lower home sales and a debilitating cyber attack”, which it claimed pushed it over the edge.
The retailer’s biggest rival Tapi rescued its brand, two warehouses and 54 of its stores in a deal that resulted in 1,018 job losses across Carpetright’s head office in Purfleet and its remaining 218 branches in the UK.
An administrators report recently revealed the fallen retailer’s suppliers, customers and landlords have been left £213m out of pocket from the chain’s collapse.
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter
