The first 10 Focus stores shut their doors yesterday, with 112 set to follow this week, as shoppers loaded up on cut-price items.
Several stores slashed their prices from pounds to pence in a final bid to clear stock, with customers at the Leek branch snapping up entire trolleys-full for £1.

Meanwhile distribution services provider Wincanton, which runs operations at Focus' distribution site at Tamworth, has announced the warehouse will also close on Wednesday, with all affected employees "at risk of redundancy".

A statement from the company said: "While every effort will be made to redeploy employees to other operations within Wincanton's network, it is unlikely that positions will be found for all of them. In the meantime, Wincanton would like to thank the team at Tamworth for its ongoing dedication during this very difficult time."

Ernst & Young says it is continuing to seek proposals for the remaining unsold stores and "remains hopeful of preserving further jobs".

Joint administrator Simon Allport said: "We would like to thank all Focus DIY employees for their continued support in what has been a difficult and uncertain time."