Budgens is closing more than 30 stores
More than 30 Budgens stores are set to close as Food Retailer Operations Limited (FROL) has gone into administration, putting 815 jobs at risk.
FROL operates 34 Budgens stores, having bought them from the Co-op in July last year. Nine outlets were closed over the weekend, and the final 25 will close their doors over the next couple of weeks.
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The stores being closed represent a third of the total Budgens stores in the UK. Booker Group, which is set to be merged with Tesco, owns the Budgens brand but the stores are operated independently.
Mike Denny, joint administrator at PwC, told the BBC: "Unfortunately, we have been unable to find a buyer and it is not commercially viable to continue trading the stores.
"We are working closely with the Co-op, Usdaw and the relevant government agencies to ensure that all employees receive the maximum levels of practical and financial support through the redundancy process."