DECEMBER TRADE NEWS eBay sellers urged to identify wholesalers Rise in minimum wage would hurt small retailers Consumers eager for Boxing Day sales Fake clothing & fashions pair sentenced Independent stores receive late-December boost Oxfam troubled by lack of donations Many retail chains could collapse in New Year Rosebys collapse affects Manchester wholesalers Working hours ruling affects small retailers Last-minute shoppers 'rescuing stores' Slowdown could hurt Irish retail New figures show November sales rise BRC helps small retailers with rent agreements January 5th set as Woolworths closing date Pre-Christmas discounts rise to epic proportions Counterfeit DVD seller a Christmas turkey Parking restrictions 'hurt local trade' Councillors block Tesco store plan Inflation squeezing small retailers Cardiff's historic arcades 'under threat' Grim London sales 'beginning to improve' Rural retailers 'silent victims' this Christmas New JK Rowling title 'in short supply' 700 jobs lost at CD and DVD wholesaler Smoking display refits to cost small firms thousands Tobacco ruling could adversely affect small shops 2009 tough but there are reasons for optimism Buyer on the horizon for books wholesaler? Woolworths struggling to find buyer, facing closure Troubled book wholesaler 'praised by independents' Online shopping soars on 'Mega Monday' Consumers taking advantage of sales Support for independent retailers encouraged Rogue eBay trader fined £500k and jailed for a year Pedestrianisation plans opposed by retailers Shoppers to maximise use of internet this Christmas Local retailers band together in face of adversity Counterfeit consoles flooding UK Wholesaler collapse stalls internet sales for Zavvi Retailers warned of business rates 'stealth tax' Customer care vital to online sales Internet revenue to increase 10% this Christmas Toys and games wholesaler collapses Retailers losing out from VAT cut Small supplier battling the big guns Little hope for Christmas shopping boost New factory benefits batteries wholesaler Admin costs of VAT cut hurting small retailers Dragon ponders bid for Woolworths Trade News Archive 2008  December   November   October   September August   July   June   May   April   March   February   January Subscribe to our newsletter   Go to The Wholesaler UK Directory 23rd December 2008 Many retail chains could collapse in New Year The New Year could bring bad tidings for a number of the UK's smaller retail chains, it has been suggested. Insolvency expert Nick Hood has warned that as many as 15 firms could collapse during January 2009, the Sunday Times reported. Mr Hood, a partner at Begbies Traynor, made his comments ahead of the last few shopping days before Christmas. As noted by the newspaper, many retailers will be hoping to make as much money as possible during the festive season to help with their quarterly rent bills. The insolvency specialist did not, however, name any specific companies as he made his prediction. Mr Hood said: "I would not be surprised if between ten and 15 national and regional chains collapsed before the middle of January." In addition, chartered accountancy firm BDO Stoy Hayward predicted that the three-week period until the middle of January is "going to be the worst three weeks for retailers in 20 years".   (c) 2008 Comment on this news story