CTD Tiles: former DIY brand stores saved as Tile Giant deal reopens locations after administration - full list

• 23 former CTD Tiles stores have been saved through rescue deals following the company's collapse
• CTD Tiles entered administration due to a downturn in the home improvement sector
• Topps Tiles initially acquired 30 stores, brands, and assets for £9 million, but 56 stores closed with 268 job losses
• Stiled Limited will rebrand 16 former CTD stores as Tile Giant and Tile Choice locations
• Kajaria-UKP Limited will take over seven stores as part of its UK expansion
• Reopening stores may provide new employment opportunities for former CTD workers

Rescue agreements have been made to save a high-street DIY brand following its collapse last month.

CTD Tiles entered administration in August after facing difficulties due to a slowdown in the home improvement sector. The company operated 86 stores across the UK and employed 425 staff before going under.

Administrators quickly arranged for competitor Topps Tiles to acquire 30 stores, along with CTD's brands, intellectual property, stock, and two distribution centres for £9 million. However, 56 stores were closed, leading to 268 job losses.

Now, 23 former CTD Tiles stores will be able to reopen following the striking of two rescue deals, administrators Interpath Advisory have announced. However the Portsmouth branch in Airport Service Road is not among them.

Stiled Limited, which owns the Tile Giant and Tile Choice brands and operates 49 stores across the UK, is to take on 16 former CTD Tiles stores and associated stock.

Separately, Kajaria-UKP Limited, a UK joint venture with New Delhi-based tile manufacturer Kajaria Ceramics, agreed to save seven stores and take on associated stock.

The 23 former CTD Tiles stores will not reopen as CTD Tiles stores, but will be rebranded under the new ownership.

16 of the stores will be rebranded as Tile Giant and Tile Choice stores by Stiled Limited, while the remaining seven will be taken over by Kajaria-UKP Limited.

Both new owners plan to integrate these locations into their existing tile retail networks, with new branding and product offerings.

The 16 sites rescued by Stiled are:

• Aintree, Merseyside
• Basildon, Essex
• Blackpool, Lancashire
• Cambridge Central, Cambridgeshire
• Chelmsford, Essex
• Cricklewood, Greater London
• Dundee, Scotland
• Eastbourne, East Sussex
• Exeter, Devon
• Ipswich, Suffolk
• Plymouth, Devon
• Rochdale, Greater Manchester
• Slough, Berkshire
• Stirling, Scotland
• Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire
• Whetstone, Leicestershire

The seven sites rescued by Kajaria are:

• Brierley Park, Dudley, West Midlands
• Chester, Cheshire
• Colchester, Essex
• Coventry, Warwickshire
• Croydon, Greater London
• Derby, Derbyshire
• Northampton, Northamptonshire

Administrators and new store owners have expressed hope that reopening the 23 stores will lead to the creation of new jobs, potentially allowing some of the workers who were made redundant to be rehired.

But while former CTD employees may be prioritised for these roles, the specific number of jobs or whether all former staff will be rehired remains uncertain.

James Lumb, managing director at Interpath and joint administrator, said: “We are pleased to have reached these agreements which pave the way for a further 23 stores to reopen under new ownership, and which we hope will create a significant number of new employment opportunities for those former workers who were impacted by redundancy, as well as others in the local communities.”

Matt Williams, chief executive of Stiled, said: “We are delighted to reopen these stores that had been closed. Our focus will be working to establish these locations as Tile Giant and Tile Choice stores with new colleagues to provide market-leading tile ranges.”

Viren Mundra, chief executive of Kajaria-UKP, said: “This is the next step in our UK expansion and we look forward to serving customers from these seven new locations.”

What are your thoughts on the rescue of CTD Tiles stores? Do you think the rebranding will bring back loyal customers or attract new ones? Share your opinions and experiences with us in the comments section.