UK retail chain Threshers - 2400 jobs to go

Threshers, Bottoms Up, Wine Rack, Victoria Wine and lesser brands Haddows and The Local dominate the UK retain market for outdoor sales.

But the recession and competition from, mainly, supermarkets has driven the group known as First Quench into administration. That was in October, since when more than 1,000 shops have closed and almost 6,000 staff laid off including 2400 announced this week.

On Friday, crowds elbowed their way into the Threshers outlet on Waterloo station hours after a preliminary announcement of more closures was made. At the same time, some of the Wine Rack shops were sold, but that news sank under the weight of the expected number of closures.

The administrators say they hope to sell another 100 shops.