The Original Factory Shop (TOFS) has permanently closed all its 137 stores and its head office, four months after entering administration. The discount retailer, which started trading in 1969, employed 1,180 staff at the time of its collapse in January 2026.
Administrators from Interpath conducted a phased closure of the store portfolio after failing to secure a viable buyer. A spokesperson confirmed: 'Without any viable offers to take the business forward, it was not possible for The Original Factory Shop to continue trading and all remaining stores were closed on 4 April 2026.'
The closure has resulted in widespread redundancies, with the majority of employees made redundant. A small number of staff have been retained to assist the joint administrators in winding down the business. A specialist team has been set up to support affected workers with submitting claims to the Redundancy Payments Service.
Earlier this year, administrators blamed the retailer's demise on 'adverse government fiscal policies,' which led to significant increases in staffing expenses, alongside challenging trading conditions caused by soaring costs and declining customer numbers. The company had previously operated 180 shops when Modella acquired it in February 2025, before a company voluntary arrangement in April 2025 led to numerous branch closures.
