Strange company 'gone into administration'

izzybusy23

Our local garden centre has gone into administration and on Wednesday all its employee's were sent home.

Now what I find really strange about this is that winter is hardly the time people are out looking a paving slabs / garden furniture / outdoor plants etc, so surely winter is always going to be slow. Apparently this is the first garden centre EVER to have bought in administrators.

Do you feel that companies are calling in the administrators too early?

I find it quite sad really.. too many companies going bump now.

withabix

izzybusy23 wrote: »

Do you feel that companies are calling in the administrators too early?

As it is illegal to trade whilst insolvent (ie continuing to trade knowing that you will be unable to pay your bills when they fall due), directors of companies have no choice, unless they wish to be come personally liable for the debts of the company, which is rather unlikely!!

vivatifosi

Are you talking about Hurrans? I think it was the first garden centre in the area, and it has gone bankrupt, rather than being the first UK garden centre to go bankrupt. Unfortunately there have been a few of those.

http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/gloucestershireheadlines/Hurrans-goes-administration/article-656890-detail/article.html

purch

Now what I find really strange about this is that winter is hardly the time people are out looking a paving slabs / garden furniture / outdoor plants etc, so surely winter is always going to be slow

So it's definately not strange that a Garden Centre is struggling then is it ???

A Garden Centre is hardly going to go bankrupt in the spring or summer when all the old people are in wasting their pensions on stuff they don't need.

izzybusy23

purch wrote: »

So it's definately not strange that a Garden Centre is struggling then is it ???

A Garden Centre is hardly going to go bankrupt in the spring or summer when all the old people are in wasting their pensions on stuff they don't need.

Ok what I meant to say was, I find it strange to wind a business up when the peak of its trade is yet still to come and really only a matter of months away. It was always busy and car park was full in the summer months.

Hurrans yes, nice garden centre so will be a shame to see it go.

chopperharris

You have to think about the last two summers also , you remember both those days dont you?

Alan_M_2

izzybusy23 wrote: »

Ok what I meant to say was, I find it strange to wind a business up when the peak of its trade is yet still to come and really only a matter of months away. It was always busy and car park was full in the summer months.

Hurrans yes, nice garden centre so will be a shame to see it go.

It may be as simple as a bank withdrawing it's funding.

There are quite a few quite profitable businesses closing due to loss of working capital.

staffie1

Not strange really. If it's run out of money, it can't carry on - regardless of the time of year. Even when it is summer this year, sales are going to be well down as a lot of people will be either out of work or focussing on keeping a roof over their heads.

BenL

Alan_M wrote: »

It may be as simple as a bank withdrawing it's funding.

There are quite a few quite profitable businesses closing due to loss of working capital.

Most likely cause, every winter they will likely have run up debts and overdrafts then paid back in the summer.

This year the bank is not willing to lend.

Other retail outlets I understand make most of their money at xmas so they may face the opposite as we get into the height of summer.

louisdog

It's a shame, especially for the staff, but I am not that surprised. I used to shop at Hurrans Newport in the early 90s and it was really good, but moved back here recently and they have really gone downhill.

lynzpower

Ive always wondered about garden centres TBH

my parents did up a lot of houses in my childhood & every weekend was either in tops tiles/ carpet world/ B&Q or some garden centre.

I personally believe if you ar e a reasonably good gardener, you dont need to go to a garden cetre that often. What you have bought will grow, and as long as you dont move house too often then why do you need to go? there are not that many garden centres in central london so when i did up my flat I managed to do the whole thing with a load of reduced to clear bedding plants for 20p a tray which I revived at zero cost and a couple of cheap conifers and a few bags of chipped bark.- spent less than 30 quid at B&Q

I can see why a lot of people cant be bothered, when moneys tight why would you bother? Especially when you can take cuttings & seedlings from freinds/ family. You can buy seeds everywhere - wilkinsons, b&Qs, internet tescos!plents can be bought cheaply everywhere from car boot sales, to manor houses. I can see why people might not have the time/inclination to go all the way to a garden centre.

Personally with so many poeople having flats these days not as many people have gardens.

I bet they are a dying breed and they'll not be that many left?