Furniture stores in closure

Nov 30 2007 by Graeme King, The Journal

A SMALL chain of furniture retailers from Sunderland has been taken over by administrators.

Lloyds Furniture, with its main store on Fawcett Street in the centre of Sunderland, is now being run by accountants Taylor Rowlands from their office in Yarm, near Middlesbrough.

The company, which also operated a second store at Portrack Lane in Stockton, had been run by partners Mark and Claire Lloyd.

Yesterday Peter Gray and Harvey Madden, from Taylor Rowlands, were appointed to run Lloyds and are now assessing the state of the company’s finances before deciding on its future.

The Sunderland store of Lloyds was closed last week, before the administrators arrived, while the Stockton store was shut yesterday morning.

It is understood the company employs just eight staff. Their future is not clear at the moment, though a spokeswoman for Taylor Rowlands said last night the administrators were hoping to get the stores trading again.

The administrators have asked for any customers of Lloyds Furniture to contact them in writing, especially those who have paid deposits or paid in full for furniture which they have not yet received.

Taylor Rowlands also revealed that the administrators have been approached by another furniture retailer in the North-East, who has offered to help with fulfilling Lloyds’ orders, though no decisions have been made on this yet.

A spokeswoman said: “Further details of this assistance will be released as soon as possible. We are aware of the distress that this situation will cause customers, however we would hope to contact all affected parties as quickly as possible in order to resolve this matter.”