MORE LOCAL JOBS AT RISK AS ETHEL AUSTIN CALLS IN ADMINISTRATORS

8th February 2010

More shop workers across The Bay are in trouble:

Discount retailer Ethel Austin and its sister homewares chain Au Naturale have called in administrators.

The company has its headquarters in Liverpool and a network of nearly 300 stores - four of which are here in The Bay area, in Barrow, Kendal, Lancaster and Morecambe.

It will trade as normal while a buyer's sought, but hundreds of jobs hang in the balance.

The group has come under pressure from rival budget chains such as Primark and Matalan.