UK furniture giant collapses into administration – 297 jobs lost

A major British furniture manufacturer that supplied high-street retailers including Marks & Spencer and John Lewis has collapsed into administration, resulting in the loss of almost 300 jobs.

Westbridge Furniture Limited, based in Holywell, Flintshire, formally entered administration in late March amid mounting financial pressures. Administrators Interpath appointed Chris Pole and Will Wright to oversee the process and attempt to secure a buyer.

Despite initial hopes of a rescue deal, no viable offers emerged. Production officially ceased on April 2, and the company has now begun winding down operations.

The collapse has led to 297 redundancies, with only a small number of employees retained temporarily to assist with closing down the business. Affected staff are being supported in submitting claims through the Redundancy Payment Service.

In a statement, Pole said the company’s workforce had demonstrated “exceptional professionalism” during a difficult period.

“The team at Westbridge has shown exceptional professionalism in maintaining production while we explored options,” he said. “We recognise this has been a challenging period for staff and I’d like to express my sincere thanks for their commitment.”

Westbridge specialised in sofas and upholstered furniture and employed just under 300 people at its Flintshire site. Its products were widely distributed through major UK retailers, making its collapse a notable blow to the domestic furniture supply chain.

However, parts of the business may live on. The company’s intellectual property and product designs are set to be acquired by Whitemeadow, which plans to continue working with existing retail partners to preserve some of Westbridge’s ranges.

The administration highlights ongoing challenges within the UK manufacturing and retail sectors, where rising costs and shifting consumer demand continue to place pressure on suppliers.