The British Corner Shop is making a comeback after falling into administration earlier this year.
The expat favourite online platform, which sold more than 6,000 iconic British food brands to customers around the world, ceased trading after more than 20 years in January this year after a series of financial struggles.
The British Corner Shop’s intellectual property – including website domains, social media channels and trademarks – was then bought from administrators FRP Advisory by a subsidiary of Newcastle-based property firm Magna Homes, following a bidding process in March.
The company is now set to relaunch the British Corner Shop platform this July, The Grocer can confirm, with plans to set up a new distribution centre in the north-east of England and to create around 50 jobs.
New co-owner Harvey Hayer posted this week a picture of cardboard boxes carrying the British Corner Shop logo on his LinkedIn page, with the caption: “Great to see the boxes have now arrived in the UK from the Netherlands.
“Getting ready for the big launch,” he added.
The BCS was previously Bristol-based, selling popular British foods like crumpets and M&S Percy Pigs to customers all over the globe.
Despite a loyal customer base, the company entered administration for the second time this year after being unable to mend financial wounds caused by Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic.
An attempt at investing in a distribution site in the Netherlands to bypass Brexit red tape was not enough to keep BCS afloat.
All 20 employees were made redundant as a result of the closure. It also emerged in February that the BCS owed £2.5m to creditors – including a hefty £539,234 to M&S, one of its biggest suppliers.
Magna Homes’ purchase of the BCS IP marks its first venture into e-commerce.
“We look forward to expanding the business into new territories whilst continuing to serve its loyal customer base worldwide,” Hayer said at the time of the auction.
Jonathan Dunn, partner at FRP and joint administrator of British Corner Shop, said: “We wish the new owners the very best in their new venture.”
No comments yet