Furniture chain Harveys and shirt maker TM Lewin have both called in administrators on another bleak day for UK retailers, with the immediate loss of more than 800 jobs and more than 1,300 others at risk. The collapse of the two familiar retail names is another blow for high streets already reeling from the closure of a number of of Debenhams outlets and the collapse of fashion retailers Cath Kidston, Laura Ashley, Oasis and Warehouse. Scottish retail chain M&Co, which employs 2,700 people at 262 stores, has appointed advisers from Deloitte to consider options for the business, including a possible sale via a pre-pack administration, as first reported by Sky News on Tuesday. Shirt maker TM Lewin, which has not reopened any stores since the lockdown on “non essential” retailers was lifted earlier this month, said all 66 of its outlets would be permanently closing with the loss of about 600 jobs, after the group called in administrators on Tuesday. Administrators from PwC are seeking a buyer for about 20 Harveys stores and its three manufacturing sites. But 240 redundancies were made immediately at the chain and more than 1,300 jobs may go if a buyer cannot be found. All its stores will continue to trade for now, but industry watchers believe a buyer is unlikely to materialise. The retailer has been struggling for years and is also heavily reliant on sister chain Bensons for Beds, with which it shares several sites. Bensons was also put into administration on Tuesday. However, it has been bought out in a prearranged deal by its private equity owner Alteri Investors, with the aim of saving between 150 and 175 of the chain’s 242 stores, its Huntingdon manufacturing operation, and nearly 1,900 jobs. The buyout involves new investment of £25m into Bensons by Alteri. All current Harveys and Bensons orders will be honoured by the ongoing business. Zelf Hussain, joint administrator at PwC, said: “The group had been facing increasingly challenging trading conditions in recent months, in particular the Harveys furniture business. This has resulted in cashflow pressures, exacerbated by the effects of coronavirus on the supply chain and customer sales. It has not been possible to secure further investment to continue to trade the group in its current form.” Harveys and Bensons’ parent group appointed administrators from PwC on Tuesday morning after a tough period of trading for furniture retailers, which were suffering from a slowdown in the housing market and low consumer confidence even before the government-imposed high street shutdown forced them to temporarily close stores in March. “The restructuring, whilst obviously difficult for Harveys’ employees, will safeguard more than half the group’s workforce and is a necessary milestone on Bensons’ journey to becoming a market-leading beds retailer with a strong omnichannel presence,” said Gavin George, the chief executive of Alteri. “We will continue to work closely with the management team on the turnaround of the business which we believe can have a bright future, despite the challenges facing the retail industry, including the long-term impact of the coronavirus pandemic.” Alteri bought Harveys, which was founded in 1966, and Bensons, which has been in business for 70 years, in November last year. TM Lewin owner Stonebridge Private Equity, whose vehicle Torque Brands took over TM Lewin in May, has bought back the brand’s remaining assets, including its online business, in a pre-pack deal. Stonebridge said it had formed the view that TM Lewin was no longer a viable going concern in its current format. The group did not reopen stores last month as the company said it relied on services such as measuring which were not possible to deliver with physical distancing. “The business is unable to sustain current rental agreements for its store network across the country. With all stores still remaining closed due to social distancing guidelines, our customers have been unable to shop in store for the past three-plus months; this has forced our hands to focus on a radical overhaul of the business model, rebuilding from the ground up in a fashion we deem fit for the years to come,” Torque said in a statement.