A list of company mergers and acquisitions that took place in the UK between July and December 2020.
December 2020 Mergers and Acquisitions
Babble completes management buyout
Wed, 23/12/2020 A management buyout has been completed at Babble, in a deal which values the unified communications and cyber security services provider at £90m.
TerraQuest Solutions bought by Apse Capital
Wed, 23/12/2020 Mears Group has sold TerraQuest Solutions to the European private equity group Apse Capital. TerraQuest is a digital, data and technology provider to the planning, infrastructure and property sectors across the UK.
WPP announces merger consisting of AKQA and Grey
Wed, 23/12/2020 AKQA and Grey, both owned by WPP, are to merge and form a new brand experience agency called AKQA Group.
Addo Food Group and Winterbothan Darby to be merged after PAI Partners Purchase
Mon, 21/12/2020 The private equity firm PAI Partners has bought Addo Food Group and Winterbothan Darby, with the intention of merging the two companies and creating a market leader in the UK chilled food sector.
Kingfisher acquires NeedHelp as it announces new priorities
Mon, 21/12/2020 NeedHelp, a home improvement services marketplace, has been taken over by Kingfisher, owner of B&Q and Screwfix. Kingfisher recently announced it was making becoming a “mobile-first customer experience” a priority.
Magazine publisher Future buys GoCo Group
Mon, 21/12/2020 The magazine publisher Future has agreed a £594m deal to buy GoCo Group, owner of the price comparison website GoCompare. Future, which publishes some of the UK’s best known magazine brands, believes the deal will enable to establish a global specialist media platform. GoCompare is well known to UK consumers through its advertising campaigns featuring a fictional Italian tenor called Gio Compario.
The AA to be bought by TowerBrook and Warburg Pincus
Mon, 21/12/2020 The private equity firms TowerBrook and Warburg Pincus have agreed to buy the AA for £219m. The deal will see investment in critical areas such as IT transformation and a renewed focus on the company’s insurance business.
IT provider Calligo acquires NIS
Mon, 21/12/2020 The IT provider Calligo has continued to expand its operations into the UK with the acquisition of Network Integrity Services (NIS), an IT managed services provider which specialises in managed IT, cloud and security services. NIS has offices in Manchester, Birmingham, Leicester and Hemel Hempstead.
Allied Universal secures G4S purchase
Mon, 21/12/2020 The American company Allied Universal has announced it is to buy G4S for £3.8bn. The combined security services company will employ 750,000 people around the world.
Hovis bought by equity firm Endless
Thu, 10/12/2020 The private equity firm Endless has bought the bread brand Hovis. Headquartered in High Wycombe, Hovis operates eight bakery sites, its own flour mill and a distribution network which covers the UK.
Croda International takes over Iberchem
Thu, 10/12/2020 Iberchem, a Spanish fragrances and flavours specialist, has been taken over by Croda International. The £736m deal strengthens Croda’s personal care and home care businesses and enables it to move into faster growing core consumer markets.
Salesforce buys Slack
Tue, 08/12/2020 Salesforce is to buy the workplace communications platform Slack for $27.7bn. The deal is seen as a way for Salesforce to better compete with Microsoft. Around 142,000 businesses currently use Slack, with the service having 12 million daily users in 2019.
Arcadia in administration
Tue, 01/12/2020 Arcadia has gone into administration. The owner of high street fashion brands Topshop, Topman, Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Miss Selfridge and Wallis employs around 13,000 people at 444 sites across the UK. Administrators are seeking buyers for the business.
Debenhams to be liquidated
Tue, 01/12/2020 The department store chain Debenhams is to be liquidated with the loss of up to 13,000 jobs. Hopes of finding a buyer for the company disappeared when the only bidder JD Sports withdrew its interest. Debenhams has been struggling for many years and the global pandemic has put the final nail in the coffin of the business which can trace its history back 242 years.
November 2020 Mergers And Acquisitions
RSA in £3bn and £4.2bn takeover deals with Intact and Tryg
Fri, 20/11/202 0RSA, the UK’s largest commercial insurer, has accepted a £7.2bn takeover offer from the insurance companies Intact and Tryg. Intact, headquartered in Canada, will spend £3bn and take ownership of RSA’s Canadian, UK and international operations. Tryg operates across Scandinavia and will pay £4.2bn to buy RSA’s Swedish and Norwegian businesses. RSA's Danish business will become a 50/50 joint venture between Intact and Tryg.
Consolidation in catering sector as WSH buys bartlett mitchell
Tue, 10/11/2020 BaxterStorey owner WSH has acquired bartlett mitchell. The deal gives barlett mitchell added security as the workplace catering sector responds to the challenges brought about by Covid-19.
MBO at healthcare staffing specialist Hallam
Tue, 10/11/2020 ABN Amro has backed a management buy-out at Hallam Medical. Based in Sheffield, Hallam specialises in healthcare staffing.
Marshall Wooldridge buys farm insurance specialist RF Broadley
Tue, 10/11/2020 Farm insurance specialist RF Broadley has become part of Global Risk Partners following the announcement that it has been taken over by Marshall Wooldridge.
Kagool buys digital experience agency Delete
Tue, 10/11/2020 The digital experience agency Delete has been acquired by Kagool.
Cambridge University Press and Cambridge Assessment to merge in 2021
Tue, 10/11/2020 The University of Cambridge has announced it is to merge its publishing and assessment operations, Cambridge University Press and Cambridge Assessment, into a single organisation which will launch in August 2021
MBO at Ten10 backed by Graphite Capital
Tue, 10/11/2020 The private equity firm Graphite Capital has backed the management buy-out of Ten10, an engineering and software testing services provider.
4D pharma joins NASDAQ following merger
Tue, 10/11/2020 Biotherapeutic products specialist 4D pharma plc will start to trade on the NASDAQ following the announcement it has agreed to merge with Longevity Acquisition Corporation.
Pantek buys M.A.C. Solutions
Tue, 10/11/2020 IT company Pantek has bought M.A.C. Solutions.
Diageo expands portfolio with Chase acquisition
Tue, 10/11/2020 Chase Distillery has been acquired by Diageo. The deal adds seven gins, four vodkas and an elderflower liqueur to Diageo’s portfolio.
420 Argos shops to close
Tue, 10/11/2020 Sainsbury’s is to close 420 Argos shops, reducing the number of Argos standalone stores to around 100 by March 2024. At the same time the retailer is to open up to 150 more Argos stores within Sainsbury's and add 150-200 more Argos collection points in its supermarkets and convenience stores. Sainsbury’s says the changes will result in around 3,500 job losses. Sainsbury’s bought Argos for £1.4bn in 2016.
October 2020 Mergers And Acquisitions
Manchester United in the red
Thu, 22/10/2020 The financial impact the pandemic is having on even the biggest sporting brands is made clear in Manchester United’s newly released annual results. The football club slumped to a £23m loss for 2019/20 compared with a £19m profit the year before. Covid restrictions forced the Premier League to be halted for three months and when matches were resumed spectators were banned. On top of the lost income from match day ticket sales, clubs were forced to pay rebates to broadcasters. Manchester United’s total revenue for the year was down £118m to £509m, exacerbated by the club not qualifying for the 2019/20 Champions League.
2,150 jobs to go at Marston's
Thu, 15/10/2020 Despite announcing a stronger than expected post-lockdown trading performance, pub and brewery group Marston's has announced it is to cut up to 2,150 jobs. Marston’s, which following the national lockdown has reported sales down only 10% compared to last year, believes the recently announced ‘3 Tier’ system of guidance and restrictions “present significant challenges to us and will make business more difficult for a period of time”.
£30bn deal sees Nvidia take ownership of UK-based computer chip designer Arm
Thu, 01/10/2020 Nvidia, an American manufacturer of high performance graphics cards and processors, has bought Arm for £30bn. Headquartered in Cambridge, Arm’s processor designs are used by the world’s leading technology companies. Nvidia will invest in Arm’s UK-based research and development, with plans for an Arm/Nvidia-powered AI supercomputer to be used for cutting edge research.
American gambling giant buys William Hill for £2.9bn
Thu, 01/10/2020 William Hill, one of the most established sports betting brands in the UK, has been taken over by the American gambling giant Caesars Entertainment. The £2.9bn deal combines Caesars’ land based-casinos, sports betting and online gaming ventures in the USA, where it already works with William Hill through a joint venture.
September 2020 Mergers And Acquisitions
Up to 6,000 jobs could go at Whitbread
Wed, 23/09/2020 Whitbread has started consultations that could lead to the loss of 6,000 jobs at the owner of Premier Inn. The UK hotels sector has been hit particularly hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, with government restrictions forcing all hotels to close during the lockdown and a big reduction in the numbers of international travellers visiting the country this year. Whitbread employs more than 35,000 people in more than 1,200 Premier Inn hotels and restaurants across the UK.
QBS expands into Germany with Compuwave acquisition
Tue, 22/09/2020 The German software distributor Compuwave has been taken over by QBS, specialist distributor of enterprise software delivery platforms. The deal is QBS’s third acquisition since the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020.
Perspective Financial Group makes 36th acquisition with purchase of IFA Jones Hill
Tue, 22/09/2020 Perspective Financial Group has made its 36th acquisition since with 2008 with the purchase of Jones Hill. Established in 1996, Jones Hill is an independent financial adviser which currently advises 160 clients and manages £44m of client assets.
Blackswan Property bought by European developer Cordia International
Tue, 22/09/2020 Cordia International, a residential real estate developer which operates across Hungary, Poland, Spain, Germany and Romania, has moved into the UK market with the acquisition of Blackswan Property. Headquartered in Birmingham, Blackswan is currently working on a range of mixed-use developments in the West Midlands region.
Fulcrum Biometrics buys Delaney Secure
Tue, 22/09/2020 The biometric security specialist Delaney Secure has been acquired by the Texas-based Fulcrum Biometrics.
August 2020 Mergers And Acquisitions
STRI Group aims for a sustainable design future with EPG acquisition
Wed, 26/08/2020 Geo-environmental engineering and design consultancy EPG has been acquired by STRI Group. The deal is the latest part of STRI’s growth strategy and sees it move into sustainable design.
Liberty Steel rescues 700 jobs with double French acquisition
Wed, 26/08/2020 The French steel companies Hayange and Ascoval have been acquired by Liberty Steel, which plans to save 700 jobs by creating an integrated GREENSTEEL rail business.
Creo Medical buys Albyn Medical for £22m
Wed, 26/08/2020 Albyn Medical, a Spanish medical products manufacturer, has been taken over by Creo Medical. Albyn specialises in gastroenterology, urology and endoscopy products. The £22m deal enables Creo to enter the urology market.
Direct Pallets bought by Scott Group
Wed, 26/08/2020 Scott Group has increased its pallet capacity with the acquisition of Direct Pallets. Established in 1997 and based in Bedfordshire, Direct Pallets supplies around 30,000 reconditioned pallets per week.
Commercial Maintenance Services buys internet of things specialist Radisoft
Wed, 26/08/2020 Commercial Maintenance Services has acquired Radisoft, a developer of ‘internet-of-things’ technology for heating systems.
Arden Software buys American company Cimex
Wed, 26/08/2020 Arden Software, a developer of packaging design software, has acquired the American software company Cimex. Established in 1987, Cimex’s products are used in the print, packaging and die-making sectors.
TMC continues to be market leader with Vertivia acquisition
Wed, 26/08/2020 The fuel management, data and audit company TMC has bought Vertivia. The deal strengthens TMC’s position as a market leader in the fuel data management sector.
Rixonway Kitchens and Magnet Contract Kitchen Solutions merge
Wed, 26/08/2020 The kitchen suppliers Rixonway Kitchens and Magnet Contract Kitchen Solutions are to operate under one brand, Magnet CKS, following the announcement they are merging.
Inc & Co buys data specialist Wood for Trees
Wed, 26/08/2020 The digital group Inc & Co has acquired Wood for Trees, a data specialist which helps charities raise money.
The County Group buys CJN Insurance Services.
Wed, 26/08/2020 CJN Insurance Services has been acquired by The County Group, the insurance broker owned by GRP Group.
Frasers Group buys fitness and gym business of DW Sports
Wed, 26/08/2020 Assets relating to the fitness and gym business of Dave Whelan Sports have been bought by Frasers Group, the retail group formerly known as Sports Direct, for £37m. The deal excludes the DW business names and IP. The gym and fitness assets acquired will be integrated into the group’s existing Everlast brand.
Corporate Management Telecom bought by Babble
Wed, 26/08/2020 Babble, the private-equity owned cloud communications specialist, has acquired Corporate Management Telecom (CMT). Established in 1998, CMT specialises in business telephony and cloud-based services.
AVEVA expands industrial software portfolio with £3.8bn OSIsoft purchase
Wed, 26/08/2020 OSIsoft, a provider of real-time industrial data software and services, has been acquired by AVEVA in a deal worth £3.8bn. The deal further establishes AVEVA’s position as a leading provider of industrial software and enables it to create an industrial internet of things portfolio.
Custom Gateway acquired by Israeli print tech specialist Kornit Digital
Wed, 26/08/2020 Kornit Digital, a printing technology specialist headquartered in Israel, has bought the printing software developer Custom Gateway.
Court document specialist CaseLines bought by Thomson Reuters
Wed, 26/08/2020 CaseLines, a cloud-based court document and evidence management platform, has been acquired by Thomson Reuters, which has recently reached an agreement with Ontario’s Attorney General to provide CaseLines across the Canadian province. The deal strengthens Thomson Reuters’s position in the courts administration sector.
HID Global acquires ID document scanning specialist Access-IS
Wed, 26/08/2020 HID Global has acquired Access-IS, a specialist in ID document scanning and contactless fare payments. Access-IS has doubled in size since 2015, with revenues reaching £19m in 2019.
Deloitte buys tech consultancy Keytree
Wed, 26/08/2020 The technology consultancy Keytree has been acquired by Deloitte. Established in 2006, Keytree provides a range of data analytics services. The deal creates the largest SAP-enabled transformation practice in the UK.
Watson Laurie becomes Bollington Wilson's 4th acquisition of 2020
Wed, 26/08/2020 The insurance broker Bollington Wilson has made its fourth acquisition of 2020 with the purchase of Watson Laurie. Based in the north west of England, Watson Laurie is a corporate insurance broker specialising in corporate risks, property and construction, European commercial real estate financing, latent defects insurance, SME schemes and other niche areas.
Frobisher Capital bought by Wren Sterling
Wed, 26/08/2020 Wren Sterling has added around £68m to its assets under advice following the acquisition of Frobisher Capital.
Onecom begins expansion with Glamorgan Telecom purchase
Wed, 26/08/2020 Glamorgan Telecom Group has been acquired by Onecom. The deal is part of Onecom’s strategy to “significantly” expand over the next three years.
Bayer acquires KaNDy for £325m
Wed, 26/08/2020 The UK biotech company KaNDy Therapeutics has been acquired by Bayer. The £325m deal expands Bayer’s drug development capabilities in the women’s healthcare sector.
Pennycuick Collins merges with Cosnett Price
Wed, 26/08/2020 The independent property consultancy Pennycuick Collins has merged with Cosnett Price in a deal which strengthens its commercial practice. Cosnett Price’s client base consists mainly of commercial property investors and occupiers across the West Midlands region.
CCTV specialist Optosafe bought by Orbis Protect
Wed, 26/08/2020 Property and security management company Orbis Protect has acquired the CCTV specialist Optosafe.
DSP revenues to top £20m following Explorer purchase
Wed, 26/08/2020 One of the UK’s largest Oracle partners has been formed following the announcement that DSP is to acquire Explorer. The deal will boost DSP’s revenues to over £20m.
Grandeco continues to expand with Holden Decor acquisition
Wed, 26/08/2020 The wallcovering specialist Holden Décor has been taken over by the Belgian company Grandeco. The deal is part of Grandeco’s global expansion strategy.
£15.6m deal sees Ideagen acquire rival Qualsys
Wed, 26/08/2020 Audit, risk and compliance software developer Ideagen has bought rival company Qualsys for £15.6m. Established in 1995, Qualsys has a number of high profile clients, including Diageo, Unilever, Honeywell and BT. The deal strengthens Ideagen’s cloud platform.
Swedish telecare specialist Doro buys Welbeing
Wed, 26/08/2020 The UK telecare company Welbeing has been acquired by the Swedish digital telecare specialist Doro.
IT merger sees Newfox and Hollinbay join forces
Wed, 26/08/2020 The IT companies Newfox and Hollinbay have agreed to merge.
Future of Williams F1 secured following takeover
Fri, 21/08/2020 The Formula 1 team Williams Racing has been bought by American private investment firm Dorilton Capital. Williams, winner of multiple titles in the 1980s and 1990s, has not won a race since 2012 and will hope this acquisition secures its long term future. Liberty Media, owner of Formula 1, is planning to restructure the sport’s finances from 2021 onwards to reduce the financial and sporting disparity between competitors.
7,000 jobs go at Marks and Spencer
Tue, 18/08/2020 Marks and Spencer has announced it is to cut 7,000 jobs as it continues to respond to the tough trading conditions caused by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, with total revenue down 38.5% in the last 13 weeks. The departures will take place over the next three months and include regional management, central support centre staff and UK stores.
Metro Bank buys peer-to-peer lender for £12m
Tue, 04/08/2020 Retail Money Market (RMM) has been bought by Metro Bank in a deal worth up to £12m. RMM has traded as Ratesetter since 2010 and is a peer-to-peer lender.
Curtis Banks completes £50m double acquisition
Tue, 04/08/2020 Curtis Banks has completed a double acquisition, Talbot and Muir for £25.25m and Dunstan Thomas for £27.5m. Talbot and Muir is a provider of software as a service products to financial advisers and has offices in Nottingham and Leeds. Dunstan Thomas is a fintech company with clients including Canada Life, Seven IM, Aegon and Novi.
Taylor Rose TTKW buys McMillan Williams.to create top 75 law firm
Tue, 04/08/2020 A new top 75 law firm has been created following the announcement that Taylor Rose TTKW has acquired McMillan Williams.
Quantuma and K3 Capital Group agree £26.95m merger
Tue, 04/08/2020 The Business advisory firm Quantuma has merged with K3 Capital Group in a deal worth an initial £26.95m. The deal enables K3, a multi-disciplinary professional services firm, to increase its services in restructuring, corporate finance, tax advisory, forensic accounting and expert witness services.
Jobs lost and saved as Byron rescued from administration
Tue, 04/08/2020 551 jobs have been saved following the announcement that administrators have sold the brands and certain assets of the restaurant chain Byron to the investment firm Calveton UK. However, 31 Byron restaurants are not included in the deal and will close, resulting in 651 job losses. Byron was established in 2007 and is the latest restaurant chain to be hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Casual Dining Group rescued from administration by private equity firm
Tue, 04/08/2020 The private equity firm Epiris has bought the majority of the business and assets of Casual Dining Group (CDG) out of administration. CDG, the owner of the Bella Italia, Cafe Rouge and Las Iguanas restaurant chains, will be rebranded to The Big Table
Gresham Technologies increases range of services with Inforalgo purchase
Tue, 04/08/2020 Fintech Gresham Technologies has bought cloud-based technology specialist Inforalgo.
Credera buys The DMW Group
Tue, 04/08/2020 The private equity firm Growth Capital Partners has sold The DMW Group to Omnicom Group subsidiary Credera. DMW is a technology consultancy which includes Lloyds of London, Google and Burberry among its clients.
Hays Travel to cut up to 800 jobs
Tue, 04/08/2020 Hays Travel is to cut up to 800 jobs in the wake of the Government’s decision to quarantine holidaymakers for 14 days on their return from Spain. The sudden imposition of the new quarantine rules triggered the cancellation of hundreds of thousands of holidays, dealing a major blow to the travel agent’s attempts to salvage something from the 2020 summer holiday market. The job losses represent about 20% of the workforce of the company that bought most of Thomas Cook’s UK stores when that business collapsed in 2019.
July 2020 Mergers And Acquisitions
John Lewis closes eight shops
Fri, 10/07/2020 John Lewis is to permanently close its department stores in Birmingham and Watford and its outlets at St Pancras Station and Heathrow Airport as well as its ‘At Home’ stores in Croydon, Newbury, Swindon and Tamworth. The closures put 1,300 jobs at risk.
Croda doubles R&D capability with new buy
Wed, 08/07/2020 The drug delivery specialist Avanti has been acquired by Croda International for £150m. The deal doubles Croda’s research and development capability in drug delivery.
Liontrust acquires Architas
Wed, 08/07/2020 The investment company Architas has been taken over by Liontrust. The £75m deal creates a business with £6.6bn in assets under management
MOI buys marketing agency
Wed, 08/07/2020 The marketing agency ALIAS Partners has been acquired by MOI Global.
IR45.io newly acquired
Wed, 08/07/2020 Specialist insurance services provider Kingsbridge Group has acquired IR45.io.
Risk specialist Alcumus makes new acquisition
Wed, 08/07/2020 Risk management specialist Alcumus has bought Banyard Solutions.
Morae Global expands in UK
Wed, 08/07/2020 Morae Global has strengthened its operations in the UK with the acquisition of Janders Dean, a legal management consultancy.
Bharti Global & UK govt acquires OneWeb
Wed, 08/07/2020 OneWeb, a developer of satellite technology, has been taken over by the UK Government and the Indian company Bharti Global. The UK Government will invest £400m and take a “significant” equity share. The deals means OneWeb can finish construction of a global satellite system that will provide broadband to countries around the world.
Networking services provider Apex acquired by Q
Wed, 08/07/2020 The cloud and networking services provider Apex Group has been acquired by Q Associates. The deal increases the range of datacentre infrastructure and data management services provided by Q Associates.
TV production company Eleven bought by Sony
Wed, 08/07/2020 The TV production company Eleven has been acquired by Sony Pictures television. Established in 2006 with backing from Channel 4, Eleven’s best known show is Sex Education on Netflix.
Improve International completes MBO
Wed, 08/07/2020 A management buyout has been completed at Improve International, which sees Benchmark sell the veterinary training specialist to the company’s directors.
CODE buys dental training firm
Wed, 08/07/2020 Isopharm, a provider of online training services for dental practitioners, has been bought by compliance platform specialist CODE.
Boohoo buys Oasis and Warehouse
Wed, 08/07/2020 Corporate restructuring specialist Hilco has sold Oasis and Warehouse to online retailer Boohoo. Oasis and Warehouse went into administration during the initial Covid-19 Lockdown.
Comms group MSQ makes acquisition
Wed, 08/07/2020 Marketing communications group MSQ Partners has announced it is to acquire Be Heard.
Johnson Controls makes new air-con purchase
Wed, 08/07/2020 Johnson Controls has bought air conditioning specialist McDowall Holdings.
Heating firm Saltire FM acquired
Wed, 08/07/2020 United Capital has purchased Saltire Facilities Management, one of the largest central heating and electrical service providers in the UK.
Onesys makes new acquisition
Wed, 08/07/2020 Sage Group has sold Coretime to Onesys.
Le Pain Quotidien out of administration
Wed, 08/07/2020 Bakery and restaurant group Le Pain Quotidien has been bought out of administration by the investment group BrunchCo.
Logistics company Kontainers acquired
Wed, 08/07/2020 The digital logistics company Kontainers has been acquired by the Canadian company Descartes Systems for £7m.
Moore Fleming acquired
Wed, 08/07/2020 The management consultancy Moore Fleming has been taken over by NMS Consulting.
Eclipse Legal Systems acquired
Wed, 08/07/2020 Access UK has increased the range of products it offers to the legal sector with the acquisition of Eclipse Legal Systems.
Lloyds Bank wealth management business sold
Wed, 08/07/2020 The Channel Islands wealth management and funds business of Lloyds Bank International has been acquired by Brooks Macdonald.
Online haulier Returnloads.net acquired
Wed, 08/07/2020 Returnloads.net, an online marketplace for hauliers and freight forwarders, has been taken over by the transport management software provider Mandata.
Just Eat expands belt
Wed, 08/07/2020 One of the world’s largest online food delivery company has been created following the announcement that Just Eat is to buy Grubhub.
Full MBO at frozen food giant Iceland
Wed, 08/07/2020 Businessmen Sir Malcolm Walker and Tarsem Dhaliwal have taken full ownership of the frozen food retailer Iceland via a management buyout. Walker founded the retailer in 1970 and it has since grown to more than 1,000 stores across the UK.
MBO at Kettlewell
Wed, 08/07/2020Kettlewell Fuels has completed a management buyout which means Janet and Trevor Kettlewell take outright ownership of the business from the Kettlewell family.
StillCanna acquires medicinal cannabis firm
Wed, 08/07/2020 The wellness and medicinal cannabis company Sativa Group has agreed to be taken over by StillCanna.
Hexatronic buys into fibre optics
Wed, 08/07/2020 Fibre optics distributor TechOptics has been taken over by the Swedish company Hexatronic.
Marvellous merger
Wed, 08/07/2020 The eCommerce agency Marvellous has been bought by Ponderosa and merged with Grapple. Established in 2010, Ponderosa is a marketing agency which has clients including Hisense, Russell Hobbs and Sovereign Healthcare.
Café Rouge owner in administration
Fri, 03/07/2020 The owner of the restaurant chains Café Rouge, Las Iguanas, Belgo and Bella Italia has gone into administration. Casual Dining Group says it is permanently closing 91 of its 250 restaurants with the loss of 1,900 jobs, which accounts for almost a third of the group’s employees. Administrators hope to be able to find buyers for some or all of the brands.
Harveys Furnishings in administration
Wed, 01/07/2020 Harveys Furnishing Group has been put into administration. The administrators have made 240 job cuts but the business continues to trade. Another business in the same ownership, Bensons for Beds, was also put into administration but was immediately bought back by the owners, who plan to reduce the number of Bensons outlets from 243 to around 150 over time.
TM Lewin cuts 600 jobs and goes online only
Wed, 01/07/2020 The formal menswear retailer TM Lewin has permanently closed all of its shops with the loss of 600 jobs. The business will continue as an online-only operation.