Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Adams Childrenswear Ltd. closed 111 of its 271 stores and cut 850 jobs after the U.K. clothing retailer was placed into administration last week.

The remaining 160 outlets will remain open while administrator PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP seeks a buyer for the company, PWC said today in a statement on its Web site.

“We have had a number of expressions of interest in the Adams business and brand,” Rob Hunt, joint administrator from PWC, said in the statement. “As a result, we are hopeful that we will be able sell some parts of the business.”

Woolworths Group Plc, MFI Group Ltd. and music chain Zavvi Group are among U.K. retailers that have collapsed into administration as anxiety over the slowing economy saps consumer confidence. Passion for Perfume Ltd., a 45-store chain, today appointed Deloitte LLP as administrator after cutting 194 jobs.

Nuneaton, England-based Adams is the U.K.’s largest independent childrenswear retailer with annual sales of 150 million pounds ($218 million), according to the statement.

Passion for Perfume cut 185 jobs across its stores and nine positions at its Manchester, England, head office after efforts to find a buyer failed, Deloitte said today in an e-mailed statement. The administrator will continue to seek a purchaser.

To contact the reporters on this story: Andrew Cleary in London at acleary7@bloomberg.net; Meera Bhatia in Oslo at mbhatia2@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: January 5, 2009 08:54 EST