Scottish Retailer Sphere and Turret Enters Administration

The Scottish clothing and footwear retailer Sphere and Turret has entered administration after struggling with financial difficulties.

It is not yet clear precisely how many jobs will be lost as a result of the situation but Sphere and Turret has a total of 16 stores across central Scotland, all of which have now closed their doors.

Branches of the business have long been located in Glasgow, Dunfermline, Arbroath and Forfar, as well as in Glenrothes, Broughty Ferry and Kirkcaldy.

Staff at the various stores only learned that their employer had called in administrators as the news was made public and outlets were closed to customers.

A Facebook post on the official page of the Glenrothes branch of Sphere and Turret confirmed on Wednesday that the company had entered administration.

“We want to thank all of our customers and staff, past and present, for their continued support over the years,” the statement said.

“None of the staff were aware of the company’s situation and have been as surprised by today's sad news as our customers. We are all as much disappointed about what this means for our own personal circumstances as well as those customers who have been inconvenienced.”

Tricia Marwick, the member of the Scottish Parliament for Mid Fife and Glenrothes, told the Courier that the failure of the business will come as significant blow for the region.

Local councillor Ally Hunter said: “The reality is people are shopping in different ways and spending their money in different places.

“Outside the essentials, traditional retailers are struggling. There will be a lot of people out of work and we just don’t need that right now.”

Sphere and Turret had been a retailer of men’s, women’s and children’s fashion brands, including a wide range of clothes and footwear.

The company was founded in 1879 when the Cumming of Leven department store was first opened in Fife. That store, along with 15 others operated by the Sphere and Turret Group, has now been closed as administrators assess how best to maximise value from the business with a view to settling debts with creditors as fully as possible.