The former Dragons’ Den panellist Theo Paphitis says retailers are facing “one of the most complex balancing acts ever”, as two of his retail businesses face “material uncertainty” about remaining going concerns after being forced into the red by the Covid crisis.
His Ryman stationery chain is struggling to refinance a £10m government-backed loan, half of which is due to be repaid in March, after reporting a £2m pre-tax loss in the year. The loss narrowed from £13.2m a year earlier after sales increased almost 40% to £105.6m thanks to the easing of pandemic restrictions.
