Exclusive: New owner of Happit chain axe 80 jobs a day after takeover

Jun 29 2008 By David Taylor

THE new owners of a Scots store group have axed 80 jobs just a day after a taking over.

Workers at Happit clothes shops lost their jobs when the firm went into "lightning administration."

On Tuesday, the day after an English firm took over, 42 staff at the Dunfermline HQ and 36 store workers were made redundant.

Happit - named after the old Scottish word "hap" meaning well wrapped up - were bought by Leeds-based budget clothing retailers Ellie Louise.

Jobs will go when the Happit shops in St Andrews, Inverness, Kirkcaldy, and Lichfield, Staffordshire, are all closed.

Some employees are bitter at the paltry compensation they will get.

One, who didn't want to be named, said: "Because Happit was in administration, the new owners are not responsible for redundancy payments.

"That means we will only be entitled to the statutory Government redundancy which is pretty poor.

"Some have worked for Happit for well over 20 years and there are others whose whole families work there."

Dunfermline West MSP Willie Rennie said: "I am extremely disappointed these employees have been dumped on the scrap heap."

Happit were owned by the Harris family, who have traded in textiles since 1916.

Ellie Louise bought Happit for an undisclosed sum and have an annual turnover in excess of £20million.

Their spokeswoman last night refused to comment.

A spokeswoman for administrators Ernst & Young said: "The sale resulted in the transfer of 32 stores, saving 233 jobs."