Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Housewares chain ProCook is permanently closing the Steamer Trading brand, which it saved from administration in January.
ProCook originally bought 27 of Steamer Trading’s 38 stores, along with the ecommerce business. Ten underperforming Steamer Trading stores which were not part of the sale closed immediately. One store in Knightsbridge, trading under the Divertimenti brand, was acquired by Steamer Trading founder Ben Phillips.
At the end of April, ProCook closed six Steamer Trading stores at Guildford, Brentwood, Cardiff, Hereford, Stamford and Witney.
Of the 21 remaining Steamer Trading stores, eight will close on July 14 at Beverley, Chichester, Horsham, Lymington, Northallerton, Saffron Walden, Southampton and St Albans. The website ceased trading on June 31.
The 13 remaining stores will reopen as ProCook. These are at Bishop’s Stortford, Bury St Edmunds, Chester, Cirencester, Harrogate, Thame, Bath, Bristol, Brighton, Dorchester, Eastbourne, Lewes and Truro.
The 13 stores that are staying will launch as new ProCook branches over a two-month schedule from July 25 until the end of September, when all stores will become ProCooks. This move will take the total number of ProCook stores across the UK to 50.
ProCook owner Daniel O’Neill said: “After six months of trying to get the Steamer Trading model to work, and a significant amount of investment, we have been forced to draw the brand to a close.
“We have concluded that our best route to success is to utilise the most profitable sites in expansion plans for ProCook. This will enable ProCook to maintain a high street presence and will save jobs that would otherwise be lost.”
The Beverley store closes on July 14
