Yorkshire job losses: Cardinal and Peter Jones call in administrators

Cardinal will lose 135 of its 170 staff, many of whom are currently on furlough

More than 200 jobs are being lost in West Yorkshire after Cardinal shopfitters and retailer Peter Jones (China) went into administration.

The Bradford-based interiors manufacturer Cardinal said it had been unable to continue trading due to the impact of Covid-19 restrictions.

Administrators KPMG said 135 of its 170 staff had been made redundant.

It is also handling the administration of Peter Jones, which will lose 67 of its 70 staff as business has ceased.

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The gifts and homewares retailer has 10 shops across Yorkshire and a warehouse, and all stores have remained closed since lockdown with the vast majority of its 70 employees on furlough.

The remaining staff at both firms are assisting the administrators with the winding down of the business, KPMG said.

Howard Smith, of KPMG, said: "Cardinal is a victim of the retail sector at large conducting a strategic reassessment of the needs of its store estate following the Covid-19 lockdown.

"Without plans to invest in their high street presence until 2021 at the earliest, Cardinal's client base were unable to provide the necessary certainty over future contracts to enable it to continue trading."

Speaking about Peter Jones, he said: "Lockdown was a challenge too far for this retailer's finances and in the unfortunate situation that it cannot continue to trade, we are managing a sale of its stock, in order to seek a return for creditors, and managing the wind-down process."

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