High street fashion chain Edinburgh Woollen Mill, which owns Peacocks and Jaeger, is close to collapse, with 24,000 jobs in the balance. Bosses wrote to staff on Friday morning, warning them that the national and local lockdowns had hit sales very heavily. If the company goes under and all the jobs are lost it will be Britain's largest business casualty so far. It acquired the Jaeger brand in 2017 and Peacocks came earlier in 2012 when it was taken in after going into administration. An FRP spokesman said: "Our team is working with the directors of a number of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group subsidiaries to explore all options for the future of its retail brands Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Jaeger, Ponden Home, and Peacocks."

Source: Daily Mail October 09, 2020 10:58 UTC