A home furnishings and interiors company in England has been sold to Topps Tiles for £3 million following its entry into administration. Joint administrators Dane O'Hara and Alex Cadwallader of Leonard Curtis were appointed on 31 October 2025 to oversee the sale.
© Carla Nascimento | Dreamstime
Fired Earth, which had previously completed a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) in 2021, struggled to maintain profitability. The business had been supported by its owner, with funding aimed at achieving self-sustainability within four years. However, losses continued to mount, rising from £1.6 million to £2.1 million for the year ended 31 August 2025, and the owner decided further funding would not be provided.
Marketing of the business began in early October 2025, but no offers were received to acquire it as a going concern. Two parties submitted significant bids for assets, and the sale to Topps Tiles included goodwill, intellectual property, stock, and customer data.
Preferential claims, including employee entitlements of £158,000 and HMRC debt of £605,000, are expected to be repaid in full. Unsecured creditors, however, are owed £3.2 million, including £827,000 to staff and £172,000 to consumers, and are likely to suffer a shortfall of £5.5 million.
The transaction marks the end of Fired Earth as an independent company and underscores the challenges facing mid-sized UK retailers navigating rising costs and operational pressures. Topps Tiles will now integrate the assets into its operations, while creditors face significant losses.
Source: www.bigfurnituregroup.com
