Adams childrenswear company on the brink

CHILDRENSWEAR chain Adams was today poised to become the latest victim of the retail crisis after it applied to appoint administrators.

Adams's troubles follow the collapse of tea and coffee merchant Whittard of Chelsea, music chain Zavvi and menswear retailer The Officers Club, which all went into administration in the days before Christmas.

Both The Officers Club and Whittard were subsequently sold. Bids to rescue Woolworths have failed.

Adams has about 260 stores among its 500 distribution outlets in the UK, as well as making clothes for Boots, and employs around 2,000 people. The 75-year-old company gave notice of its intention to appoint PricewaterhouseCoopers as administrators in a court filing on Christmas Eve.

Up to 15 national retail chains are predicted to go bust by mid-January. Clinton Cards, Allied Carpets, JJB Sport and Land of Leather are among those struggling with growing debt and declining sales.