A major UK kitchen company is set to invest £20million in Britain to help boost the economy.
This expansion comes after reports the company abruptly closed all 15 American stores days ago.
Wren Kitchens has announced plans to open 15 new showrooms across the country this year, creating around 169 jobs in the process.
The family-run retailer, which currently operates 124 UK locations, says the investment forms part of its long-term strategy for nationwide growth.
Chief executive Mark Pullan described the move as "the latest chapter in a sustained reinvestment programme."
He added: "It's been a strong start to 2026 and encouragingly the double-digit market growth we saw last year has continued into the first quarter of this year."
Southport, Leamington Spa and Newport on the Isle of Wight are the first three locations confirmed for the expansion.
Work on fitting out the Southport and Leamington Spa sites will begin almost straight away, while the Isle of Wight showroom is a new build expected to open before the year ends.
The company currently has roughly half the number of showrooms compared to some rivals, making this push a significant step in its growth plans.
Alongside the new stores, Wren intends to launch additional product ranges later this year, including offices, boot rooms, media walls and utility rooms.
Mr Pullan said: "There is demand in the market for high-quality kitchen and bedrooms at affordable prices."
Wren's showroom experience is creative and hands-on. Customers will be able to explore full-size kitchen and bedroom displays, experiment with colour and style combinations, and step into their design using Wren’s virtual reality planning suites.
Wren Kitchens has announced plans to open 15 new showrooms across the country this year
|WREN
Every showroom will also have expert designers on hand to turn ideas into a 3D plan, talk through layout options and provide clear pricing from the start.
The UK expansion stands in stark contrast to events unfolding across the Atlantic.
Just days ago, Wren suddenly shut down all 15 of its American stores after filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation.
The company, trading as Wren US Holdings Inc., submitted the filing to the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on Friday 24 April.
Court documents listed assets valued between $100million and $500million.
The closure affected all East Coast showrooms as well as Wren Kitchen Studios located within Home Depot stores.
The UK expansion stands in stark contrast to events unfolding across the Atlantic.
|WREN
Home Depot said in a statement that it "had no previous notice of Wren's intent to close" and was "actively evaluating how this has affected Wren customers."
The British firm's website now displays a message stating that all US showrooms and studios are closed.
Staff at the American outlets reportedly received no advance warning before losing their jobs.
Former employees say they were informed of the closures during a Zoom call on Thursday 23 April, after which all company computers immediately went dark.
Staff at the American outlets reportedly received no advance warning before losing their jobs
| GETTYAnes Hodzic, who managed the Newington, Connecticut store, told local broadcaster WFSB: "No one got any pink slips. No one got anything."
He added: "We got nothing regarding customers, regarding some sort of severance for the employees, nothing really."
American homeowners have been left with gutted kitchens and thousands of pounds in lost payments.
Connecticut resident Melissa Dethlefsen, who spent $23,000 on supplies, described the situation as "devastating" for her family of five.
A proposed class action lawsuit now alleges Wren violated US labour laws by failing to give workers 60 days' notice before the mass layoffs.