Carpetright is on the brink of administration, putting its 272 stores and potentially 3,000 jobs at risk. The carpet and tiling retail giant has officially filed a notice to appoint administrators from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) as it seeks to secure its long-term future.
The news broke this week when it was revealed that Carpetright was up for sale. In a significant move on Friday (July 12), the company lodged a notice of intention to enter administration at the High Court, which provides protection for the struggling retailer as it searches for a last-minute potential buyer.
PwC had been previously working with the retailer to secure additional funding necessary for continued trading, reports MyLondon. Concerns escalated following a software attack in April that disrupted trade and added financial pressure on the firm.
Cyber attackers targeted the company headquarters in Purfleet, Essex, sending malware to gain unauthorised access. Carpetright’s network was shut down due to the cyber-attack, although bosses insisted that the virus was contained before any data breach occurred.
Both employees and hundreds of customers were affected by the malicious virus that blocked access to payroll information. A source told The Sun at the time: ‘Some staff networks were taken down including the portals that workers use to book time off and look at payslips.
“It happened abruptly and was worrying because customers couldn’t get through to helplines. Everything at HQ was taken offline as that was the best way to stop the attack spreading to customer data.”