Hilco, the restructuring firm which has effectively taken control of the troubled HMV chain, is now seeking to acquire fellow high street struggler Jessops, reports have claimed.
Just yesterday it was announced that Hilco - which also owns HMV Canada - had bought up HMV's crippling debt with a view to buying the 92-year old entertainment retailer out of administration.
The Telegraph reports that Hilco is in talks with Jessops' administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), and is among the front runners to complete a purchase.
In what would be a stunning turn of events, Hilco is understood to have hatched a masterplan that involves picking up Jessops and opening up camera supplies kiosks within HMV stores.
Happy marriage?
Rob Hunt, Jessops' joint administrator and PwC partner, said there was plenty of interest in Jessops, but was unprepared to name names.
He said: "We have a number of people interested in the brand but we will not disclose or confirm individual parties as this is confidential information."
Jessops collapsed earlier this month with all 187 of its UK stores closing within days of the announcement, resulting in the loss of 2,000 jobs.
Unlike HMV, the company was unable to keep trading during its spell in administration and all stock has been returned to suppliers.
Do you think Jessops and HMV would have more opportunities to be successful if they joined forces under the same roof? Let us know in the comments section below.
Via Telegraph
