Poundland's future hangs in the balance as chain set to appoint administrators - while potential suitors including 'Del Boy billionaire' Chris Dawson line up to buy ailing chain

Discount chain Poundland is reportedly set to enter administration after its owners, who bought the firm for £1, rejected a rescue deal.The budget retailer, which employs around 12,000 staff, is set to file a notice of intention to appoint administrators after failing to revitalise the firm over the last year despite offering as much as £80million in support.If approved by the High Court, the notice will give Poundland breathing space to find a new rescue deal - after the preferred buyout offer was turned down by US owners Gordon Brothers.But the rejection of a bid from Martin Property Group has outraged Poundland bosses who had approved of the deal. They have since told staff in a memo that the situation was 'unexpected, unwanted and wholly avoidable'.Gordon Brothers refused the deal - which would have kept the business intact - because the buyers would not commit to the upfront repayment of a £30million shareholder loan inherited when it bought Poundland in June 2025.Three directors appointed just two weeks ago to oversee a potential sale quit in protest. And with trade unions warning that thousands of people stand to lose their job in the run up to Christmas, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has written to Gordon Brothers seeking an explanation. Poundland is on the verge of calling in the administrators after a rescue deal collapsed Billionaire retail magnate Chris Dawson is amongst those said to be considering a rescue deal - having done the same with Wilko and Homebase in recent years Dawson made his fortune after founding homeware chain The Range in Plymouth in 1989Poundland - which ditched its 'where everything's £1' slogan in 2019 - operates 600 stores and two distribution centres, including one in Andy Burnham's Makerfield constituency. It closed between 150 and 200 stores after the Gordon Brothers takeover last year, as well as two warehouses in South Yorkshire and the West Midlands.Without a deal on the table, the firm is hurtling towards insolvency, which could see it sold off piecemeal or folded into a pre-pack administration, which would see the firm sold to a new owner. Either could see more stores closed and jobs lost. Other potential buyers are circling. Budget rivals Lidl, Iceland and B&M, TG Jones owner Modella and retail juggernaut Chris Dawson are said to be interested in a slice of the Poundland pie.Dawson has recently made a name for himself as a saviour of ailing British brands, snapping up Wilko and chunks of Homebase as both faced total collapse and consignment to the history books.The 74-year-old is known as the 'Del Boy Billionaire', having started out as a market trader in Plymouth, not unlike David Jason's wheeler dealer in Only Fools and Horses.But he has enjoyed markedly more success than his fictional counterpart - despite suffering from dyslexia. He cannot write, and only learned to read at the age of 27.In the age of email, he prefers to do business direct, or over the phone. His approach has paid dividends: rather than a rusting Reliant Regal, Dawson drives around in a yellow Lamborghini Urus super-SUV with the personalised number plate DE11 BOY. The plate has also lived on a Rolls-Royce and a Bentley in the past.Another plate, DAW50N, is currently attached to a bright orange Lamborghini Revuelto, while the billionaire is also known to have owned Range Rovers and a Ferrari 458 with a flashy paint job inspired by the Italian flag. Dawson is also famed for flying around in a Range-branded helicopter in order to visit his stores personally. He opened his first CDS Superstore - later renamed The Range - in Plymouth in 1989 and has openly likened his stores to 'a poor man's John Lewis'.That hasn't stopped it attracting well-heeled customers - The Duchess of Cambridge was seen doing last-minute Christmas shopping at the King's Lynn branch near Norfolk in 2018.In 2023, Dawson bought the rights to Wilko for £5million after the homeware chain collapsed, initially turning it into a web-only retailer before opening a handful of physical stores and 200 click-and-collect points across the country.A year later he would do the same with Homebase, spending £30million on buying brand rights and 70 of its stores in a pre-pack deal. The brick-and-mortar shops were rebranded as The Range while the Homebase name has moved online.Dawson is thought to have saved millions of pounds in tax by handing control of his businesses to his wife Sarah, who resides in Jersey and is the controlling party of parent firm Norton Group Holdings.According to The Sunday Times Rich List, Dawson and his wife are worth a combined £2.65billion.While buyers circle, a civil war is raging within Poundland's walls - with upper management rounding on their Gordon Brothers paymasters after their preferred rescue deal collapsed.Barry Williams, the company's managing director, revealed to staff that Gordon Brothers had cut off the company's access to cash for day-to-day operations.In a memo to workers, he said the rejection of the Martin Property Group bid had been 'unexpected, unwanted and wholly avoidable'.He added: 'As you all know, our sales are strong and our recovery is taking root. This business simply does not deserve to go into any kind of administration.'Poundland and Gordon Brothers were contacted for comment.