 By 2008, the company started to have financial difficulties, partly because of increased competition from e-commerce retailers.In September 2009 it went into pre-pack administration and was quickly bought by the N Brown Group's main subsidiary, mailorder firm JD Williams, for £1.6 million.14 of the 21 stores were included in the purchase, and the N Brown management said that they wanted to reinvigorate and expand the chain, which is N Brown's first branded foray on to the high street.