Schoolwear retailer JB Ward and Company has been placed into administration.
David Rubin & Partners was appointed to handle the administration late last week.
It said that the current economic climate and slow retail trading conditions had led to the action being taken.
JB Ward is a long established retailer, which sells school uniforms, ladies wear and menswear through eight stores in Essex, Kent and Sussex.
The business is continuing to trade and is currently conducting a sale across all shops located in Bexhill, Hastings, Lewes, Maidstone, Ashford, Seaford, Rayleigh, and Southend.
The administrator said it had received expressions of interest for individual shops and a sale of the Bexhill shop is expected to be finalised shortly.
