Shoe retailer Brantano has entered administration after a search for a buyer failed, putting more than a thousand jobs across the UK at risk.

The group was acquired by a company controlled by private equity group Alteri Investors in February 2016. Since then, however, it has been forced to contest with difficult trading conditions, “despite sustained efforts and streamlining to make the business more commercially viable,” PwC, which has been appointed as administrator, said in a statement on Wednesday.

“A sale of the company was explored and whilst it generated interest, unfortunately it has not been possible to achieve,” PwC added.

“This has resulted in the company being placed into administration.”

Tony Barrell, lead administrator for Brantano at PwC, said that administrators were for now continuing to operate the business as normal while “assessing the trading strategy and any interest in parts of the business over the coming days and weeks”.

He added, however, that “it is inevitable that there will be redundancies”.

Brantano currently operates 73 stores and 64 concessions across the UK and employs 1,086 staff.

The developments spark fresh questions around the future of Jones Bootmaker, which is also owned by Alteri.

Last month Jones was put up for sale, but the group experienced a series of “cash flow challenges” throughout the bidding process, scuppering a potential deal, according to industry publication Retail Week.

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Jones was established in 1857 and currently has over 90 stores and six concessions in the UK, employing over 1,100 people.