A furniture business dating back almost 130 years will shut a beloved UK store. The retailer has confirmed it will shut the site for good in weeks, with a closing down sale in place until then.

Leekes, a family business founded in 1897, will close its store in Bilston, Wolverhampton, on Sunday, August 2. The news comes after the company announced plans to invest in the store in 2022, including new furniture studios from Ercol, Stressless and Alexander & James. The refurbishment also included launching a new studio for garden furniture and installing solar panels at the store.

The store in Bilston opened in 2009 and soon became popular among locals looking to fill out their homes. It stocked a variety of items, ranging from sofas, armchairs and beds to wardrobes and home accessories.

A spokesperson for the company thanked customers for their support over the years. A closing-down sale has already begun and will remain in place until the shop closes for good at the start of August.

A spokesperson for Leekes said: “The closure marks the end of an era for Leekes in the Midlands.

“For more than 15 years, Leekes Bilston has been a cherished destination for homeowners across the region, and the outpouring of affection from customers visiting the sale has been a testament to the fond memories made within its walls.”

The statement continued: “Staff and shoppers alike have been sharing their stories, reflecting on years of inspired home transformations and the warm, expert service that has made Leekes a household name.

“While the Bilston chapter is drawing to a close, Leekes remains as strong as ever. Family owned since 1897, this beloved British retailer has thrived for almost 130 years – and continues to do so.”

Elsewhere in the UK, Leekes operates stores in Llantrisant, Cross Hands and Tonypandy, all in South Wales, as well as Melksham and Cheltenham. Bilston was the company’s only site in the Midlands.

A UK food transport company has plunged into administration after just three years in business. During its short life, it referred to itself on social media as the “best in class tracking and routing software”. Also, a “leading food distributor across the UK.”

Based in Tonbridge, Kent, the company took pride in its facilities designed exclusively for “temperature-sensitive goods,” its website states. It also claimed to be committed to “providing a cost-effective, highly efficient service” that allowed them to meet their customer’s individual needs.

BMB Logistics entered administration on June 12, 2026. Steve Kenny and Richard Cole of KBL Advisory were appointed as joint administrators. While no reason for the administration has yet been disclosed by the appointed administrators, Companies House records show BMB Logistics had overdue accounts at the time of its administration. The company, which was incorporated in January 2022, had not filed accounts due by 30 April 2026.

The company still has a colourful Instagram and claims to be a proud sponsor of the Larkfield Under 7s. Their account, which was created in 2022, has 59 posts and 157 followers. However, according to Google, BMB Logistics has just one review. The one-star review reads: “Got threatened by someone in here for parking, rather than helping me and telling me where I could park, just got told ‘I don’t care, move your car or I’ll clamp it.’”

It comes after a UK furniture retailer plunged into administration after facing tough trading conditions over the years. Airsprung, which makes mattresses and beds for major retailers, has been in the business for 150 years.

Based in Canal Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, the company has faced mounting cashflow pressures in the past few months. In an effort to address these issues, Airsprung explored potential investment opportunities and possible offers for the business. However, due to the company’s financial position and the nature and level of interest received, the directors ultimately had no option but to place the company into administration.

Of its 202 employees, 71 were made redundant upon appointment, while those remaining were retained to assist with the business’s ongoing operations. The company has also produced beds for hotels and filling for sports stadium seating under brands Gainsborough and Airofreem.

On May 1, Edward Williams and Ross Connock, of PwC, were appointed joint administrators of Airsprung Group PLC and Airsprung Furniture Limited.

Mr Williams said: “It’s very sad that this well-known business with 150 years of history and iconic brands within the mattress and bed industry has had to go into administration. We know that this is an unsettling time for everyone impacted, and we will support employees through the redundancy process.”

Moores Furniture Group, a Wetherby-based company that has been supplying kitchens to housebuilders, the public sector, and affordable housing developers since 1947, has fallen into administration, citing “challenging trading conditions” as the primary reason for its downfall.

The firm, which employed more than 450 people, has appointed James Clark and Will Wright from Interpath as joint administrators. The administrators confirmed that they had sold the company’s customer list and certain other intellectual property assets to Wren Trade Kitchens Limited, a subsidiary of Wren Kitchens Ltd.

While 336 staff members have been retained to support the completion of some work, the administrators have made the difficult decision to make 124 employees redundant. They have pledged to provide support to those affected, including assistance with making claims from the Redundancy Payments Service.

Construction industry headwinds impact supply chain

Clark explained that the strong headwinds facing the UK construction industry continue to have a significant impact on companies throughout the supply chain.

Despite Moores Furniture Group’s efforts to cut costs and make “strong progress,” the company struggled with “challenging trading conditions” due to rising costs and low levels of housebuilding activity.

The firm had explored options for further investment or the sale of the company, but these efforts were ultimately unsuccessful, according to Clark.

However, he noted that the sale of intellectual property to Wren Kitchens “provides an opportunity to minimise disruption for customers and suppliers, and which will enable Moores’ heritage in kitchen manufacturing to continue as part of the Wren family.”

Glimmer of hope

Wren Kitchens Ltd expressed its regret that Moores had entered into administration, stating, “Whilst the company was a competitor of ours, we believe it is in everyone’s interests to have a strong kitchen industry based here in the UK.”

Although Wren Kitchens had been in talks with Moores, they were unable to save the business. However, they have agreed to an exclusive option to provide affected customers with the ability to seamlessly transfer outstanding contracts to Wren Kitchens.

Wren Kitchens also revealed that their contract division had recently announced plans for a sales office in Harrogate. They have agreed with the administrator to explore opportunities “to provide alternative employment to a significant number of Moores sales, operations and internal support teams,” offering a glimmer of hope for those affected by the administration.