Two former Carpetright stores in Kent condemned to closure when the firm called in administrators are set to be taken over by a furniture retail giant.
Bensons for Beds is poised to take over the Canterbury and Gillingham branches in a move which could see jobs saved – although the Carpetright brand will not be retained at these shops.
The news comes just weeks after 10 Carpetright stores in Kent closed when the retailer was bought out by rival Tapi upon entering administration.
Bensons for Beds’ acquisition of the Kent stores form part of a wider scheme across the country which will see 19 sites previously shut reopen under its new owner.
The bed specialist also said it hopes to create job opportunities for former Carpetright staff when it reopens the stores under its brand.
Some 1,018 workers faced immediate redundancy following the administration though it is not known how many of these will be saved yet.
Nick Collard, chief executive for Bensons for Beds, said: “Increasing the number of Bensons stores remains a key growth priority and we are excited about this opportunity to take on 19 store units.
“Today’s announcement supports our overall plan to expand our current 162-strong store estate to over 200 over the next few years.
“While market conditions for higher ticket purchases have remained very challenging, Bensons has continued to make real progress, by remaining focused on those things in our control.
“Since our return to profitability in 2023, we’ve continued to see significant market share gains across all our core categories, reflecting the hard work from all our colleagues across the organisation.
“This work, alongside the announcement today on the new stores, leaves us well placed when the wider market starts to recover, allowing us to realise the longer-term ambitions for Bensons and its colleagues.”
There is no news yet on the other eight sites in the county which includes Ashford, Gravesend and Sittingbourne. Only the Maidstone branch survived the Carpetright cull.
Tapi announced in July it had agreed to buy 54 Carpetright stores, two warehouses, the brand and its intellectual property in a pre-pack administration deal.
The firm owned by Nestware Holdings filed a notice to appoint administrators earlier in the month after struggling in the face of weaker demand and a major cyber attack in April.
Tapi was founded in 2015 by Lord Harris of Peckham, who also founded Carpetright. He sold all his stock in Carpetright in 2014.
Tapi has rapidly grown in recent years and runs about 175 shops across the UK.
Jeevan Karir, managing director of Tapi Carpets & Floors, said on the Carpetright takeover: “Our goal, initially, was to try to save all of Carpetright.
“However, as we looked into the details of the situation, we quickly established that saving the entire business was unviable.”