Kaboodle Ltd, founded in 2005, announced that insolvency specialists BRI Business Recovery and Insolvency have been appointed to enable the company’s voluntary liquidation.

The kitchen brand offered home appliance supply and installation services for retailers and manufacturers across five depots.

Since opening more than two decades ago, Kaboodle opened facilities in Highbridge, Basingstoke, Stevenage, Telford and Leeds.

UK kitchen firm shuts down with immediate effect

Kaboodle announced its closure with a statement on its website, sharing: “We regret to inform you that Kaboodle Ltd has ceased trading with immediate effect.

“Insolvency Practitioners, BRI Business Recovery and Insolvency, have been instructed to assist in placing the Company into Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation.

“You will be contacted from them directly in due course in relation to the liquidation process, including details on how to submit a claim for any monies owed, as applicable.”

Adding: “If you currently hold stock with us, please arrange for collection as a matter of urgency.”

Kaboodle then urged customers to collect all stock no later than May 8, sharing: “Please note that after this date, we cannot guarantee access to or availability of your stock, as staff will be leaving the business and control of the premises may pass to the appointed liquidator and/or the landlord.

“Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.”

Commercial Director at Kaboodle, David Simpson, wrote on LinkedIn confirming the brand’s closure: “I’m sad to formally advise that Kaboodle is to be liquidated as a result of cash constraints.

“My thoughts and appreciation go to all those employees involved in the insolvency – it’s a distressing time for all.

“I’d also like to thank our manufacturing and retail customers for their loyalty.

“We were charged with restructuring the business to dedicate ourselves to the Home Installation market some time ago, meaning that we needed to exit our Housebuilder sector.”

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Former managing director Matthew Pitt at Kaboodle added: “Sad to hear the news about the closure of Kaboodle today.

“It’s very disappointing to see a business with strong foundations end up in this position.

“There are a lot of talented people affected, and I hope they’re supported through what will be a difficult period.”

Did you ever use Kaboodle? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

The Fat Zebra in Market Square, Bicester, opened in April 2022 to rave reviews and has reported happy customers ever since.

Now, the cafe, which describes its offering as ‘coffee and cocktails, great atmosphere and healthy inspiring food’ is up for sale to a new owner.

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The listing said: “Blacks Brokers are pleased to bring to the market this coffee shop/cafe located in Oxfordshire.”

The Fat Zebra cafe in Bicester (Image: NQ)

It is described as “beautifully presented and fully equipped”, with reliable management in place, ‘superb’ reputation and online reviews and in a ‘prominent high street position’.

The business’ annual turnover was published as nearly £297,700 with a gross profit of more than £200,000, plus additional scope for evening trading and outside catering for 33 covers.

The asking price for the leasehold of the premises is £75,000.

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The Fat Zebra Bicester’s current team celebrated its fourth anniversary of opening last month.

A statement from the cafe said: “Thank you Bicester and the amazing team we have here.

“Four years is a great achievement and without all the support both internal and from our customers we would not be able to do it all. Here’s to another four and more!”

The Fat Zebra Bicester has been approached for comment.

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

FICO has urged UK lenders to use artificial intelligence in collections operations, following its analysis of UK credit card data for 2025.

The share of customers missing two or three card payments rose through much of the year, while balances on those accounts also increased from a year earlier. Accounts with two missed payments reached an average balance of £2,938 in November, up 4.9% year on year. Accounts with three missed payments climbed to £3,324 in December, up 4.1%.

The trend is adding pressure to collections teams already dealing with larger case volumes and more complex customer circumstances. Many lenders still rely on manual handling, with staff reviewing cases one by one, a model FICO described as expensive and difficult to scale.

It argued that this has left many operations dependent on older tools and processes that do not adapt well when payment problems rise. FICO highlighted scripted systems such as diallers and basic chatbots, saying they can improve productivity but are often limited to simple interactions.

Mike Trkay, Chief Information Officer at FICO, said lenders face a growing mismatch between demand and the way collections work is organised.

“Collections is one of the clearest examples of where traditional processes are no longer fit for purpose,” Trkay said.

He said lenders are trying to manage high volumes, limited resources and changing customer expectations at the same time. In FICO’s view, conversational AI can support more natural exchanges with borrowers and gather information as discussions develop.

Operational strain

One area of focus is how AI systems identify signs of customer stress and vulnerability. Those signs are not always obvious and may differ between people with a long history of paying on time and those who fall behind more regularly.

A borrower who misses a payment because of affordability pressure may need a different response from a customer with a repeated pattern of late payment. In that context, FICO said AI tools could help direct cases to more appropriate treatment and reduce unnecessary manual work.

At the same time, Trkay said conversational systems create risks of their own if lenders do not tightly define the rules they operate under. Because these systems can follow a customer conversation in many directions, they increase the chance of inconsistent outcomes.

“Basically, the AI needs to know when it should stop and make a hand-off to a live agent,” Trkay said.

That point is likely to resonate with lenders navigating consumer protection obligations and internal conduct rules. FICO said AI systems used in collections should be limited in the language and guidance they provide, and should recognise when an interaction is edging into advice or becoming too prescriptive.

Decision tools

Beyond conversation handling, FICO said the bigger opportunity lies in combining those systems with decision intelligence. In practice, that means using AI not only to understand what a customer is saying, but also to choose an action based on policy, affordability signals and expected outcomes.

That could support automated negotiation of payment plans, identify customers in financial hardship, guide borrowers through repayment options and keep interactions within regulatory and internal policy limits. AI-driven optimisation could also help lenders decide where to deploy limited staff and resources across large portfolios.

This would involve weighing the cost, effort and likely returns of different interventions, rather than applying the same collections treatment across broad groups of accounts. FICO said that could help lenders prioritise cases where engagement is more likely to lead to recovery or where a more tailored approach is needed.

Trkay said the aim is to move away from standard responses that fail to reflect differences between borrowers.

“AI enables organisations to move beyond static, one-size-fits-all approaches,” Trkay said. “It allows lenders to deliver more personalised, responsive and effective collections strategies, improving outcomes for both the business and the customer.”

The comments come as lenders continue to monitor the effect of household financial pressure on unsecured borrowing performance. Rising missed payments on credit cards can point to broader strain in consumer finances, while also increasing servicing costs for banks and card issuers if account management becomes more labour-intensive.

FICO warned that lenders that do not update their collections approach risk falling behind as volumes change and operating pressure grows. “Organisations that leverage AI effectively will not only improve efficiency but also build stronger, more resilient customer relationships,” Trkay said.