BUDGET shoe chain Brantano has collapsed into administration, putting up to 2,000 jobs at risk at stores across the UK.

The company has been hit hard by customers’ switching from traditional ‘bricks and mortar’ stores to shopping on the internet.

It affects 140 stores and 60 concessions nationwide employing around 2,000 staff including a store in Edinburgh Way, Harlow

But administrators from accountants PwC say that, “despite sustained efforts to make the business more commercially viable” it had experienced difficult trading conditions.

PwC’s Tony Barrell, Mike Jervis and Rob Hunt were appointed as joint administrators of Brantano (UK) today.

Tony Barrell, the lead administrator at PwC, said: “The continuing challenging conditions for ‘bricks and mortar’ retail stores are well documented. Like many others, Brantano has been hit hard by the change in consumers’ shopping habits and the evolution of the UK retail environment.

“The administrators are continuing to trade the businesses as normal whilst we assess the trading strategy over the coming days and weeks. Staff will be paid their arrears of wages and salaries, and will continue to be paid for their work during the administration.”

Robert Moran, deals partner at PwC, is leading the sales process and said: “Brantano is an established value shoe retailer in the UK and Jones Bootmaker/Brantano businesses attracted considerable interest during the 2015 sales process. We are now assessing interest in the UK Brantano business as a whole or its parts and we welcome approaches from interested parties.”