THE future of a fixture on the Holsworthy high street is under threat after its parent company went into administration.

It has been confirmed that The Original Factory Shop Limited (TOFS), a high street chain most recently owned by Modella Capital, a private equity firm which is best known for taking over the high street shops of WHSmith has not been able to overcome recent trading difficulties.

The store in Holsworthy, located on the Square in the town, will remain open for at least the short term while administrators from Interpath assess the viability of the company as a going concern, however the online shop has closed with immediate effect.

Confirming the news of the administration, Rick Harrison and James Clark, the administrators appointed to oversee the affairs of the company said that the high street chain had fallen foul of a storm of issues leading to the administration, including cost inflation, government policies relating to the cost of employing staff and problems with the third party distribution warehouse.

While the short term future of the stores has been confirmed, the administrators have confirmed a number of changes as a result of the administration in addition to the immediate closure of the online shop.

These include all purchases made since January 28 being on the basis of being ‘sold as seen’ with returns only being accepted if the products are faulty, while refunds for items bought before that date only exchangeable for goods of the same value or less.

It added that all refunds must be approved by the store manager, while the customer’s statutory rights will not be affected.

A spokesperson for Interpath said: “Rick Harrison and James Clark from Interpath were appointed joint administrators to The Factory Shop Limited, trading as The Original Factory Shop, on January 28, 2026.

“Founded in 1969, The Original Factory Shop is a discount retailer selling a wide range of branded and own-sourced products, including clothing, homewares, beauty items, toys, and seasonal goods. The company operates 137 stores across the UK, employing circa 1,180 staff.

“In common with other high street retailers, the company had experienced challenging trading conditions, driven by high cost inflation, fragile consumer confidence and Government policies which have led to significant increases in employment costs. This was exacerbated by issues with the company’s third-party warehouse and logistics operator, which significantly impacted sales.

“Following their appointment, the joint administrators will continue to trade all 137 stores as a going concern while they assess options for the business. The company’s online store, however, will close.”

Rick Harrison, managing director at Interpath and joint administrator, added: “The Original Factory Shop has long-been a cornerstone of local high streets up and down the country. Unfortunately, however, trading challenges have impacted the business such that the company had to be placed into administration.

“Over the coming weeks, we will be working closely with TOFS dedicated team of employees as we endeavour to operate all stores as a going concern while we assess options for the business.”