Hardware retailer and parent company of Dibranto, Posh Rosh, and Clean Up brands appointed administrators last week after struggling with “very tough trading”, the company says.

Ideabright, which has its head office in Chessington Surrey, operates retail outlets in Fulham, trading under the Dibranto and Clean Up names. The largest of the two shops, Dibranto – a quadruple-fronted hardware store serving DIYers and professionals – used to trade as Ideabright, selling electrical goods, hardware, paint, power tools and lighting before it took on the Dibranto name.

A spokesperson for Ideabright told DIY Week this morning that this store was in the process of closing and would cease trading by September 9.

Clean Up, which is located a few doors down on Fulham Road, offers cleaning and laundry products and accessories, as well as pest control ranges. This store will also cease trading as a result of the administration. However, the spokesperson  explained that other stores in the group have already closed over the past couple of years, prior to the administration, due to “poor sales”. These outlets include a second Dibranto store, located on Upper Richmond Road in Sheen and Posh Rosh, which sold homeware, kitchenware and baby ranges.

They explained the circumstances for the administration: “It’s been a combination of things. Trading has been tough and we’ve seen very poor sales. Our trading areas are not the cheapest and have very high costs attached, so that doesn’t help.”

The spokesperson added that the overheads of the business, including staff, played a part, as well as the economic climate, concluding that things came to a head when it all “hit at once”.

Matt Ingram and Allan Graham of Duff & Phelps were appointed as joint administrators on August 9. DIY Week has been unable to reach them for comment.

The company spokesperson added that the administration process is still in the early stages, so it is unknown whether a buyer will be sought for the business or whether it will cease trading altogether. Meanwhile, the transactional websites for the retail brand names continuee to trade online, with Posh Rosh advertising a clearance sale.