A well-known womenswear brand has been acquired but its Harrogate store could still be at risk of closing. 

LK Bennett, a long-term fixture on James Street, has been snapped up by US firm Gordon Brothers in a deal that has saved both the brand and its intellectual property.

The acquisition came immediately after LK Bennett appointed administrators on January 27 but does not include bricks-and-mortar stores and concessions.

While LK Bennett has said stores will continue to trade under administration, joint administrator John Noon, of Alvarez and Marsal Europe LLP, appeared to suggest shop doors could close within the coming months.

Speaking to fashion business publication Drapers, Mr Noon said:

The Stray Ferret contacted the Harrogate store for more information. An employee declined to comment and directed our enquiry to LK Bennett's head office, but we had not received a response at the time of publication.  

We also contacted LK Bennett's press office, but, again, we had not received a response at the time of publication. 

A bleak picture

The news comes as yet another blow to James Street – and Harrogate’s high street scene as a whole – after the Stray Ferret recently reported Russell & Bromley would be shutting down.

The brand, its intellectual property and three stores were acquired by retail giant Next last month, but the remaining 33 shops and nine concessions – including Harrogate – were not part of the sale.

It remains unclear who bought the stores, but the Harrogate branch began advertising a closing down sale just days after news of the acquisition broke.

Art gallery Lucy Pittaway, which opened a gallery and shop on James Street in 2022, last month announced the Harrogate and Bowness-on-Windemere sites would close.

The company cited “rising operational costs facing so many UK businesses”. 

In addition, Claire’s – an accessories and jewellery business – is also in the midst of a closing down sale.

A notice in the window of the Victoria Shopping Centre store revealed Kroll Advisory had been appointed as administrator on January 26.

Up to 150 Claire’s stores – and around 1,000 jobs – are believed to be in jeopardy nationally.

The Stray Ferret understands the company is hoping a last-minute buyer can be found to save the business, but it’s unclear when the local branch is set to close. 

Meanwhile, on Parliament Street, Latin American-themed bar Revolución De Cuba closed with immediate effect on January 27 after a decade of trading in Harrogate.

The bar’s former parent company The Revel Collective, whose brands also included Revolution and Peach Pubs, last week confirmed it had appointed FTI Consulting LLP as administrator and had sold some of its assets.

But 14 Revolution and six Revolución De Cuba sites, plus one Peach Pubs site, did not form part of the deals and shut immediately – including Harrogate - cutting 591 jobs.

Stories of businesses closing and shops shutting their doors have dominated headlines both locally and nationally in recent weeks.

They paint a bigger – and bleaker – picture of the difficulties of running a business in the current economic climate, and suggest the future of our high streets could be murkier than ever. 

However, on a brighter note, there have been a number of new openings across the Harrogate district recently.

High-end clothing brand ME + EM took over a Prospect Crescent in December. Its decision to locate to central Harrogate was seen as a boost for the town's retail offering. 

Two new pilates studios in Boroughbridge and Baldersby are opening this month, and The Cheeseboard relocated to a bigger unit on Harrogate's Commercial Street after 45 years of trading. 

Otley Road residents can look forward to a new coffee and matcha bar, while plans for major new leisure facilities at Rudding Park are progressing.