Online furniture and homeware retailer MADE.com has this morning confirmed that it has entered into administration.
The collapse of the company comes after the retailer – which was founded back in 2010 by Brent Hoberman, the Lastminute.com co-founder, and Chinese entrepreneur Ning Li – went public last year with a valuation of £775 million following what was said to be a “stellar sales performance” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sales then began to fall away, however, when COVID restrictions came to an end and customers started to complain about the long waits and delayed deliveries for their orders.
MADE.com suspended trading shares over a week ago, and its market value then slumped to £2.1 million.
Up to 500 jobs are now believed to be at risk following the collapse.
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News that that MADE had filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators, and that the company was “exploring all options” – including an accelerated sale of all of parts of the business – began circulating last week.
Online furniture retailer MADE has entered into administration / Credit: made.com
Administrators at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) were beginning the task of selling the company’s other assets and paying off its debts to creditors – but now it’s been announced that the company has officially entered into administration.
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It has also been confirmed today that rival retailer Next has snapped-up the MADE.com brand, its website, and intellectual property.
Speaking as the business goes into administration, Nicola Thompson – Chief Executive of MADE.com – said: “I would like to sincerely apologise to everyone – customers, employees, supplier partners, shareholders and all other stakeholders – impacted as a result of the business going into administration.
“Made is a much loved brand that was highly successful and well adapted, over many years, to a world of low inflation, stable consumer demand, reliable and cost efficient global supply chains and limited geo-political volatility – but that world vanished, the business could not survive in its current iteration, and we could not pivot fast enough.”
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The retailer has shared a message of its notice of intention to appoint administrators on its website / Credit: made.com
Ms Thompson confirmed that the brand “will now continue under new owners.”
Co-founder Ning Li said shortly before the firm’s collapse that he had submitted three proposals to MADE.com’s board and PwC to buy back the company, but he claimed his offer had been rejected.
He wrote in a statement on LinkedIn: “Apparently, it would be preferable to break the company up and sell it in pieces to generate a little more cash.
“It makes no sense to me, but I wanted you to know that I really tried.”
Featured Image – made.com
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Dame Sarah Storey is going on Strictly Come Dancing 2026
Danny Jones
Record-breaking local athlete and Paralympian, Dame Sarah Storey, is set to become the latest to join the Strictly Come Dancing annals.
With the Strictly cast for 2026 steadily being unveiled, we always keep an eye out for the Greater Manchester names in particular.
That being said, we’re buzzing to see the hugely successful Stockport swimmer turned cyclist will be swapping her Team GB kit for sparkly, sequined ballroom gowns and an entirely different type of sport and fitness.
Announced on Friday, 17 July, Storey is the seventh celebrity to be confirmed for the 24th series of the hit BBC show and dancing competition.
Having represented her country not only at nine Paralympics but across two different disciplines after switching to the racing bike back in 2005, she’s our most decorated competitor in the entire history of the Games with 30 medals to her name – 19 of which are gold.
Absolute GOAT levels.
But now the Cheadle Hulme-born is once again set to show her versatility to see how she fares on the dance floor later this year.
Commenting ahead of the new-look season which starts this September, the 48-year-old said: “Embarking on a new challenge so soon after stepping down as an athlete is hugely exciting.
“I have always loved watching Strictly, and my daughter Louisa is a very talented dancer, so to be able to learn from the best and hopefully understand even more about her world is incredibly motivating! I can’t wait to get started!”
This latest sea-change comes not long after the local legend and sporting icon officially announced her retirement from professional sport more than three decades on from first bursting onto the scene.
Thank you for taking the time to leave all the incredible messages. It’s so wonderful to read them and thank you for being the greatest supporters 🥰
— Dame Sarah Storey (@DameSarahStorey) July 9, 2026
What a career she’s had; it obviously didn’t take her long to get tired of sitting still for once, either.
She will be joined by the likes of Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, Chris Appleton, Cach Mercer and Will Best.
In case you missed it, the upcoming edition of Strictly Come Dancing will be the first since Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman stepped down, with Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and pro dancer Johannes Radebe stepping in as replacements.
In other starring Stockport news, we’ve finally got more info on the final season of a popular programme filmed in the area. Find out more down below.
Two more people arrested as investigation into Dovestone Reservoir moorland fire continues
Emily Sergeant
Two more people have been arrested as part of the ongoing investigation into the devastating moorland fire near Dovestone Reservoir.
Yesterday (16 July 2026), a 19-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of arson and has been bailed pending further police enquiries, before a man in his 20s has today (17 July) been arrested on suspicion of arson, and remains in custody for questioning.
These follow the arrest and subsequent charging of 20-year-old Shania Care-Slede, from Hyde.
Care-Slede has been charged with aggravated arson, being reckless as to whether life was endangered, and dangerous driving, and was remanded in custody before appearing at Manchester Magistrates’ Court this past Tuesday (14 July).
After the blaze broke out this past Saturday evening (11 July) at the popular beauty spot in Oldham, prompting a major multi-agency response, fire crews from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) have been working around the clock in challenging conditions to contain the fire and prevent further spread across the moorland.
Specialist wildfire resources, command support units, drone technology, and partner agencies have also been deployed as operations continue across multiple sectors of the incident.
To make matters worse, ‘strong’ winds carried smoke across parts of Greater Manchester – with reports of haze and the smell of burning being received from areas well beyond the immediate vicinity of the fire.
With three major arrests having already now been made, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) says its officers are continuing to pursue a number of lines of enquiry and are seeking to identify any other individuals who may have been involved.
“This investigation has been progressing at pace, we are nearly a week on and the fire at Dovestones is still ongoing, and it has had devastating effects it has had on the Reservoir,” commented Detective Inspector Andrew Day, of GMP’s Oldham division said.
“As this incident continues, officers would like to thank all emergency service partners for their support and dedication.
“In particular, our colleagues at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, whose firefighters have spent countless hours tackling the fire in demanding conditions.”
Emily Sergeant -
9th November 2022 
