Apollo 2000 stores to reopen

Branches of Apollo 2000 in Wolverhampton, West Bromwich and Cannock are to reopen next week.

They are among eight of 12 stores which closed last month that have been saved in a £3.5million buy-out by Hughes Electrical.

About a dozen jobs will be created in each store, which will be trading under the Apollo 2000 name, and former employees will be invited back. Robert Hughes, managing director of East Anglia-based retailer Hughes Electrical, said that all three West Midlands stores will be open by Wednesday.

He said: "It's a case of re-stocking the stores and making sure the goods are properly ticketed.

"Because we are taking back the previous staff, they will be familiar with the systems and the customers, so that is very positive.

"We took the opportunity to buy the Apollo 2000 stores because it is a successful business.

"The failure of Apollo was due to its sister company going under and it guaranteeing the debts," Mr Hughes added.

"We have long admired Apollo and won't be changing too much, except for extending the range of brown goods.

"By the same token, Apollo's expertise with white goods can be brought into our stores.

"It is worth emphasising that our priority remains to resolve any outstanding customer issues," Mr Hughes said.

About 180 jobs were lost – including 14 at the Wolverhampton store – when Apollo 2000 went into administration last month.

Mr Hughes confirmed that about a dozen jobs will be created in each of the reopened stores, and that the branches will trade under the Apollo 2000 name, with former staff invited back.

He said his firm had for a long time admired Apollo 2000 as "like us, they have well-trained and experienced staff who put the customer first".

Will Wright, director at administrators KPMG, said: "We are delighted to have concluded this sale, which we hope will see the well-respected Apollo 2000 brand live on.

"The transaction does not impact on the arrangements for the small number of customers who were affected by the firm's insolvency."