Top perfume house Miller Harris calls in administrators as pandemic continues to hit high street

London fragrance house Miller Harris is calling in administrators for the second time in a month, sparking fears the firm could become the next high-street victim of the pandemic.

The brand, which has stores in Covent Garden, Soho, King’s Cross, Canary Wharf and Westfield in Shepherd’s Bush, was launched two decades ago.

The company established itself in the high-end fragrance market with the 2006 creation of a bespoke perfume for actress Jane Birkin, while sales rocketed in 2010 when Samantha Cameron gave Michelle Obama a Miller Harris candle set.

Two years ago the then chief executive Sarah Rotheram set out plans to expand the award-winning brand across the UK and into China and Hong Kong, having secured private equity backing. Ms Rotheram left her post as CEO in June.

A notice of intention to appoint administrators for Miller Harris was lodged with the High Court in London on Tuesday by law firm Charles Russell Speechlys. A similar notice was filed at the High Court on August 7.

The company has not yet commented on the development and it is not clear what the impact on the business will be.

In Companies House filings, Miller Harris predicted a £2.3 million loss this year on top of pre-tax losses of £4.4 million last year and £2.4 million in 2018. The papers, from April 29 this year, say directors still considered the business to be a “going concern”.

Shoreditch-based Miller Harris temporarily shut its five boutiques in London during the pandemic in response to the “unprecedented and challenging times”. Just as lockdown was about to commence in late March, the company donated its entire stock of hand washes, lotions, and soaps to vulnerable older people through charity Age UK.

The company, known for its eco-friendly credentials, was established by perfumer Lyn Harris with her husband Christophe Michel in 2000.

Debenhams, Victoria’s Secret UK, and Cath Kidston are among the familiar names to have fallen into administration during the pandemic.

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