Mothercare has kicked off a closing down sale in a bid to shift products from its warehouses as 79 stores around the UK close their doors.
On Monday the mother and baby retailer appointed administrators after a long period of declining sales – partly due to online competition – and failing to secure further investment.
The sale, which confirmed that the UK website will also be shut down, is offering customers discounts of up to 60 per cent on branded and own-brand items.
A spokesman for Mothercare said: “This is a great opportunity for customers to pick up some amazing deals as everything is reduced. Demand will be high so don’t wait to grab a fantastic deal, especially if you’re Christmas shopping.”
Parents can currently find dramatically reduced discounts such as the Mothercare Milan highback booster car seat (was £50, now £30) or the Mothercare Genie pushchair (was £380, now £249).
But customers will have to be quick as lots of items are already sold out and stocks will not be replenished.
The sale does not include milk, food or medicines, according to a disclaimer on the website, but does promise further discounts in the coming days.
Customers have also been told that the brand is no longer accepting refunds on items already purchased, and gift cards will not be valid, but product warranties will remain applicable.
The closure of Mothercare will see the loss of more than 2,800 jobs, a number which could increase further as call centre and warehouse employees, hired by a third party, have not yet been told whether their jobs will be affected.
Mothercare’s international arm will continue to run with 1,000 stores in 40 countries around the world. Only 50 staff in head office will remain to oversee this part of the business.
The company, which opened in 1961, has been under pressure for years as families looking for budget options relied on supermarket brands and online retailers such as Amazon.
