Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
A third of UK SMEs will be unable to cover their costs by the end of July despite an unprecedented £330bn package of loans and guarantees from the Government, according to the latest research from Bibby Financial Services (BFS). The new study of SMEs shows this number rising to more than half should the lockdown…
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The Office for National Statistics (ONS) says Government measures designed to slow the spread of coronavirus has seen a quarter of businesses close down temporarily. A poll of 5,316 businesses, saw 25% say they had closed between 23rd March and 5th, while 38% of those that continued to trade said that their turnover was substantially…
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Latest Red Flag Alert data for Q1 2020 found there were large numbers of UK businesses experiencing significant financial distress at the end of March 2020, with the overall figure now exceeding half a million for the first time. New research from insolvency and advisory Begbies Traynor Group, has found that the largest quarterly increase…
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New research from Intuit QuickBooks, has indicated that the majority (71%) of SMEs have not yet taken any action to address financial stability. The findings are echoed comments from Minister for Small Business Paul Scully who has urged small business owners to go back to their banks if they were originally put off by the…
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Retail sales fell by 27% in the first two weeks of the UK’s lockdown, resulting in the worst monthly decline on record for the sector overall last month, according to industry figures. by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) On a total basis, sales decreased by 4.3% in March, against a decrease of 1.8% in March…
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Some 60% of the UK’s event industry’s supplier base is facing collapse within three months, unless event businesses receive further support from the Government, according to an online survey carried out by the Events Industry Forum (EIF) and Business Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP) and co-ordinated by the Production Services Association (PSA) between 3-7th April, …
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Oasis and Warehouse have fallen into administration, with over 202 jobs lost. A further 1,800 employees will be furloughed as the Oasis, Warehouse and Idle Man brands continue to trade online in the short-term. The company operated 90 standalone stores and more than 400 concessions in department stores. Icelandic bank Kaupthing, which owned the business,…
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UK Finance has announced that a total of £1.1 billion in coronavirus support funding has been loaned to 6,020 SMEs so far. The total proportion of firms receiving payouts is less than one in four of those who made a claim, with 28,460 applications submitted. Analysis shows that just 2.6% of the money available has…
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Half of the UK’s high street retailers could go bust by the end of the summer as a result of the coronavirus crisis according to a new report by global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), in partnership with Retail Economics. The report found that the companies could deplete their entire working capital should the COVID-19 lockdown continue…
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Data from the London Gazette, the UK’s official public record for insolvencies, show the appointment of receivers, liquidators or administrators surged to 3,736 between March 10th and April 9th, compared with 2,495 in the same period last year. Established companies that have fallen over in the period include Debenhams, upmarket restaurant chain Mark Hix and…
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New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) fell by 7% in February 2020 compared with the same month in 2019. The IT equipment finance and plant and machinery finance sectors reported new business up in February 2020 by 10% and…
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The British Business Bank has announced that it has approved four new lenders for accreditation under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) – The Co-operative Bank, Cynergy Bank, OakNorth Bank and Starling Bank. Following their approval, each lender will be putting in place the operations required to start lending under the scheme and will…
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High street store, Debenhams has appointed Geoff Rowley and Alastair Massey of FRP Advisory as administrators, with the chain describing the move as a ‘necessary step’ to protect it from the threat of legal action which could see the firm pushed into liquidation. In a statement, the company said “This move will protect Debenhams from…
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