November 26, 2008: British Retailer Woolworths Goes into Administration

The British retail chain Woolworths goes into administration with debts of £385m (about $580m). The administration was brought on by a cash crisis and a loss of backing by financial institutions that had lent it money, in particular Burdale and GMAC. It is the largest casualty of the global economic crisis in Britain so far, and its failure jeopardizes 30,000 jobs across the country. The British government had intervened to save the company, but only by encouraging last-minute talks between it and the lenders, which failed. No financial support from the taxpayer was offered. The administrator, the auditor Deloitte, appoints Hilco, a company specializing in reconstruction, to run the business. Hilco had been attempting to buy Woolworths before it went into administration. Deloitte says that stores will remain open during the Christmas period, and that it will attempt to find a new owner that can satisfy the company’s lenders. [Financial Times, 11/26/2008]