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The fashion chain Bonmarché has appointed administrators today, putting almost 2,900 jobs at risk across the country, including staff in Kent.
The retailer which focusses on fashion for the over-50s has appointed consultants FRP Advisory to handle the process.
The administrators are hoping to find a purchaser for the firm and say there will be no immediate redundancies and that the stores will continue to open as normal.
Bonmarche operates from 318 locations across the country, including branches in Ashford, Chatham, Sittingbourne, Maidstone, Canterbury and Sheerness.
Chief executive Helen Connolly blamed a "sustained period of challenging trading conditions and cashflow pressures."