{{Short description|British electronic and domestic appliance rental chain}} {{for|the game show|Box Clever}} {{Notability|date=January 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox company | name = Boxclever | logo = | caption = | type = Private | genre = | fate = Administration (original) | predecessor = Granada Rentals, Radio Rentals | successor = Home Technology Finance Limited, (t/a Boxclever)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.boxclever.co.uk/ |title=Home |website=boxclever.co.uk}}</ref> | founded = 2000 | founder = | defunct = 2003 (original) | hq_location_city = Bedford | hq_location_country = England | num_locations = | area_served = United Kingdom | key_people = | industry = Consumer Electronics<br />Major Appliances<br />Rentals | products = | services = | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | aum = | assets = | equity = | owner = | num_employees = | parent = | divisions = | subsidiaries = | website = [http://www.boxclever.co.uk boxclever] | footnotes = | intl = }} '''Boxclever''' (styled as “boxclever”) is a British electronic and domestic appliance rental chain that was founded in 2000 by the merger of Radio Rentals and Granada Rentals.<ref>{{cite news|title=Box Clever deal saves 400 jobs|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/i/matrix/the-business-matrix-friday-6-may-2011-2279714.html?origin=internalSearch|publisher=Independent|accessdate=30 March 2013|location=London|date=6 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Alchemy offers £200m for Boxclever buyout|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2863754/Alchemy-offers-200m-for-Boxclever-buyout.html|publisher=Telegraph|accessdate=30 March 2013|location=London|first=Damian|last=Reece|date=21 September 2003}}</ref> The company originally operated through high street stores but later moved to an online-only service.<ref>{{cite news|title=Hands set to buy back struggling TV business|url=https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/companies/article/hands-set-to-buy-back-struggling-tv-business-9v09dv5jj0c|work=The Times|date=7 January 2004|access-date=30 March 2013|last1=Bawden|first1=By Tom}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://mancunian1001.wordpress.com/2020/03/26/great-service-great-sets-remembering-the-tv-rental-shop-the-lost-precinct/|title=Great Service, Great Sets: Remembering the TV Rental Shop: The Lost Precinct|website=mancunian1001.wordpress.com|date=26 March 2020|accessdate=3 November 2020}}</ref> The company was sold to WestLB and went into administration in June 2003,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2864360/Why-Boxclever-wasnt-very-clever-after-all.html|title=Why Boxclever wasn't very clever after all|website=telegraph.co.uk|date=28 September 2003|accessdate=3 November 2020}}</ref> causing WestLB to register their €650 million bad debt charge.<ref>{{cite news|title=WestLB pulls plug on boxclever service unit|url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/business/article2108944.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150512192931/http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/business/article2108944.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 May 2015|work=The Times|date=25 September 2003|access-date=30 March 2013|last1=Bawden|first1=By Tom}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Law of Corporate Finance: General Principles and Eu Law|year=2010|publisher=Springer Publishing|isbn=978-3-642-03057-4|page=377|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h7g5L8VtP58C&q=%22boxclever%22&pg=PA377}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Slatter|first=Stuart|title=Leading Corporate Turnaround: How Leaders Fix Troubled Companies|year=2006|publisher=Wiley|isbn=978-0-470-02559-8|pages=215–216|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RyKE9vVHUTIC&q=%22boxclever%22&pg=PT269}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Boxclever blow for Saunders|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/boxclever-blow-for-saunders-6972478.html|publisher=Standard|date=24 September 2003|accessdate=30 March 2013}}</ref>
The company was bought out of administration in January 2005 by Fortress Investment Group for £135 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/boxclever-set-to-be-sold-at-big-loss-7206171.html|title=Boxclever set to be sold at big loss|publisher=www.standard.co.uk|date=18 January 2005|accessdate=12 June 2018}}</ref> Fortress and Cerberus sold the business to Weight Partners in May 2011.<ref>{{cite news|title=Weight Partners buys rental firm Boxclever|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/weight-partners-buys-rental-firm-boxclever-2279781.html?origin=internalSearch|publisher=Independent|accessdate=30 March 2013|location=London|first=James|last=Thompson|date=6 May 2011}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== * {{official website|http://www.boxclever.co.uk/}}
Category:Companies based in Bedfordshire Category:Retail companies established in 2000 Category:2000 establishments in the United Kingdom Category:Consumer electronics retailers of the United Kingdom Category:British companies established in 2000
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