Offers for beleaguered wine merchant Unwins were being considered today amid hopes that it could be prevented from falling into administration.
Rival off-licences, private equity firms and wealthy individuals have expressed an interest in Unwins, which will go into administration at 10am tomorrow unless a deal is done.
Around 2,500 jobs are at risk and many Unwins stores were today closed to shoppers in the final week before Christmas as directors considered the options for the business.
Unwins, which is based at Dartford in Kent and has 381 outlets as well as a drinks wholesale business, sought a protection order last week to prevent any action being taken to repossess goods.
Directors of the company have been working with corporate restructuring specialist Kroll and sent out information packs to interested parties at the weekend.
Andrew Pepper, of Kroll, said difficulties for Unwins have been stacking up as supermarkets nibbled away at its margins in common with the rest of the off-licence industry.
As Unwins is predominantly focused on London and the South East it has also been hurt by people travelling to France to stock up on alcoholic drinks, he said.
Reports have also suggested that some major wine and spirits groups have stopped supplying the chain, which claims to be the largest off-licence in the South-east of England.
Mr Pepper said: “Twenty-five people have contacted us and we have had a number of offers based on that from from competitors, private equity houses and rich individuals.
“I am hopeful that a deal will be done before the court hearing tomorrow.”
Unwins was family-owned until March this year when it was bought by London-based DM Private Equity.
The deal required the backing of 84 shareholders, all of whom were descendants of Michael Wetz, the founder of the Phillips Newman business that acquired it in 1921.
References: EGi News 19/12/05
