Two of the Teesside stores in a collapsed electrical retail chain have been saved, it emerged today.
Fears flared for the future of two PowerHouse outlets at Teesside Retail Park, Stockton, and one at Skippers Lane Industrial Estate, South Bank, when the company went into administration.
But New-Zealand-based Pacific Retail Group stepped in to snap up 134 of the shops.
At first it was not clear which Teesside stores had been taken into the new fold.
Administrators Deloitte & Touche closed 93 outlets, at a cost of 800 jobs, after a trade insurer withdrew cover for some of its suppliers in August.
A RPG spokeswoman said today some shops earmarked for closure by Deloitte and Touche had continued to trade for a while to sell off their remaining stock.
She revealed one of the units at Teesside Park, where 12 are employed, and the outlet at Skippers Lane had been bought by PRG and had been renamed New PowerHouse.
Mark Brewster, store manager at Skippers Lane, where 14 people work, said: “We had a few hairy weeks where we didn’t know what the future held for us.
“But now we are feeling very confident about business again.
“We have a good stock position and we’re finding customers curious to find out what the New PowerHouse can do for them.”
New PowerHouse chief executive, Peter Halkett, adds: “Our customer service charter relies on honesty and openness with our customers.
“We felt that it was deeply unfair that many of the customers of the old PowerHouse business had lost out.
“New PowerHouse is about making it easier for customers and taking them extremely seriously – they are our most important asset.
“We need to demonstrate to them our long-term commitment and build their confidence.”
Deliveries of goods bought by PowerHouse customers before the electrical chain’s collapse will be honoured by its new owners.
This includes orders at stores which have since closed.
PRG has taken on responsibility for supplying products to 14,000 customers although it is not obliged to do so. It has also safeguarded 35,000 warranties and is working to ensure cover for another 170,000 policies. These moves are costing the PRG £2m.
>From icTeesside