Bhs, Debenhams and Primark have completed deals with administrator Kroll to buy a total of 24 Allders stores for undisclosed sums.
Bhs has bought 10 Allders stores in Aylesford, Chester, Chichester, Guildford, Handforth Dean, Knaresborough, Lincoln, Leeds, Northampton and York, while Debenhams has bought eight stores in Basildon, Chatham, Clapham, Ilford, Portsmouth, Slough, Sutton and Woking.
The remaining six department stores in Coventry, Hull, Leicester, Oxford, Sheffield and Bromley will be taken over by Primark.
Kroll said it hoped to hand the stores over to their new owners by the end of March. The company is still reviewing options for the remaining 21 stores in the portfolio.
At its deadline for offers last week, bids had been received on all but 10 of the Allders stores.
It is understood that the remaining 11 stores under offer are to be sold off individually or in small groups to high street retailers including Next and TK Maxx.
References: EGi News 14/02/05
