Edinburgh Woollen Mill and Ponden Home have been placed into administration, putting thousands of jobs at risk.
The clothing retailer had 328 sites and 2,571 staff across the UK, while houseware store Ponden Mill had 329 staff.
Across the two chains, 866 jobs were lost today adding to the hundreds that were lost when 64 stores were permanently closed last month.
EWM Group is the owner of both chains, but it is still trying to strike a rescue deal to save remaining brands, Peacocks and Jaeger.
Credit: BBC News