Around 5,000 agents working for catalogue firm Kleeneze face being shown the door after the 95-year-old business collapsed. Kleeneze, best known for selling household and beauty products through its network of door-to-door sellers, said it had ceased trading on Thursday and 140 jobs are at risk. Kleeneze sold cleaning products, gifts and homewares through a network of self-employed door-to-door agents. David Acland, joint administrator at FRP Advisory, said: "Kleeneze has performed well over the years and has a strong network of independent sales distributors. "Unfortunately, tough trading conditions have resulted in the business entering administration. "The business suffered from operational issues after its move to the Heywood distribution site earlier in 2017. "There were logistics challenges and IT issues that took six months to resolve, which resulted in significant lost sales," Mr Acland said. David Acland, joint administrator at FRP Advisory, said: “Tough trading conditions have resulted in the administration.”

A buyer is being sought for the business but FRP warned that 69 jobs at its HQ in Accrington, Lancs, and 71 at the warehouse in Heywood, 15 miles away, are in jeopardy. Kleeneze dates back to 1923 when founder Harry Crook set up in a broom cupboard in Bristol selling simply brushes. Currently owned by Dallas-based holding company JRJR Net­­works, it was at one stage linked to Christmas hamper firm Farepak, which collapsed in 2006. The last accounts filed for Kleeneze show a loss of £3.3million in 2016 on turnover of £21million. Annette Bott, an Usdaw area organiser, said: "This is clearly a difficult and upsetting time for the 140 staff based in Accrington and Heywood. Usdaw, the trade union for Kleeneze staff, said it was seeking urgent meetings with the administrators in a bid to protect jobs. "In the meantime we are providing our members with the support, advice and representation they need.”
Door-to-door sales firm Kleeneze, which employs around 5,000 people, collapses into administration after 95 years.