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Major UK furniture company closes after entering administration with 297 jobs lost

Westbridge Furniture ceased trading on April 2 after joint administrators from Interpath received no "viable offers" for the business. The Flintshire-based manufacturer supplied major retailers including Marks & Spencer and John Lewis Partnership.
Following its 2025 acquisition, the company suffered "operational disruption" that proved more damaging than anticipated. Weak trading and loss of a key customer further pressured cash flow, making continued operations unsustainable.
The majority of 297 staff at the Holywell, Flintshire base were made redundant as operations ceased. Joint administrators Chris Pole and Will Wright are supporting impacted employees with claims to the Redundancy Payments Service.
Joint administrators agreed to sell the exclusive intellectual property and design rights to sofa manufacturer Whitemeadow. Pole added the agreement "preserves Westbridge's range for retailers" and wished the team success reintroducing the designs.
It has been a rough start to 2026 for the UK high street, with numerous retailers entering administration or closing stores. However, major brands including Aldi and Superdrug have announced new store openings, providing some positive momentum.

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