Troubled department store chain Allders went into administration casting a shadow its store in Basildon's Eastgate shopping centre.
Administrators Kroll said Allders' directors appointed them following tough trading conditions and a failure to find a buyer for the 143-year-old business.
Kroll said Allders stores would remain open while the administrators review all options.
A spokesman said there would be no immediate redundancies among the group's 5,700 staff, but added: ''Any business constantly has to review its position.''
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