Hisbe stores in Brighton and Worthing will close for good after telling suppliers that it would be entering voluntary liquidation yesterday.
A public announcement on the news is expected.
In an email sent to suppliers supported by Hisbe, owners Ruth Anslow and Jack Simmonds said: “This week we made the difficult decision to declare Hisbe insolvent and take the company into voluntary liquidation.
“We have done everything in our power to keep this social enterprise going over the last four years – and we were making slow but steady progress trading our way back despite working with sorely depleted resources, a painfully tight cashflow and ever-spiralling costs.
“But when the final tranche of our recovery…
