Haldanes jobs – Haldanes seeks administration order

One of the UK’s newest supermarket chains Haldanes has applied for administration – putting hundreds of jobs at risk – after it failed to resolve a dispute with The Co-operative Group.

The move comes after Haldanes, which employs around 500 staff, bought 26 former Somerfield stores from the Co-op last year. The Co-op was forced to sell the stores by the Office of Fair Trading.

The two chains filed legal proceedings against each other last month, with Haldanes alleging material breaches by the Co-op, and the Co-op responding by starting proceedings to recover possession of a number of the 26 stores over unpaid rent.

Haldanes is understood to have written to store managers to inform them all but four stores will cease to trade after close of business on June 14.

The four stores that may remain open – located at Tattershall, in Lincolnshire; Wigton, in Cumbria; Crieff, in Perth and Kinross; and Tranent, in East Lothian – are subject to possible acquisition. Other stores operated by parent company the Haldane Retail Group, which includes Haldanes Express and all but two of its Ugo Stores, are unaffected.
http://www.expressandstar.com/business/city-news/2011/06/09/haldanes-seeks-administration-order/