Ebony departmental store chain shuts shop

Post 2008 slowdown many retailers had either stopped

operations completely or closed stores. Now, Ebony, a department store chain launched in 1994 has followed. The store chain has shut operations. Ebony Retail, the retail division of Delhi-based construction and infrastructure group DSC Group, is already in the process of winding-up, since there are several petitions seeking compulsory liquidation of the company. However, DSC Group has said that the company has shut down Ebony department stores to focus on its furniture joint venture with France’s Gautier. The company claims that it has cleared most of the outstanding payments of vendors barring some disputed ones, cases against which are currently in court.

While GHCL’s Roseby home furnishing chain closed operations earlier this year, discount retailer Ess Aay Fashion India, which owns Allen Cooper apparel brand, is closing stores and facing recovery lawsuits from vendors. Mumbai-based Wadhawan Group’s grocery chain Spinach, India Rama Group’s stationery chain Super Store 1, the local franchisee of US My Dollar Store, and Chennai-based discount store operator Subhiksha Trading Services are some other retailers that have folded operations.

Ebony Gautier currently operates about six specialty furnishing and home accessories stores in Noida, Gurgaon, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Faridabad.