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Epic’s acquisition of Whittard will ensure that the brand survives, as well as safeguarding the majority of the chain’s 950 jobs. Epic will also take control of Boaters Coffee Co, Whittard’s subsidiary, which sells flavoured coffee. However, the sale still puts hundreds of jobs at risk because Epic is expected to consolidate Past Times, which has 100 outlets, and Whittard stores, closing shops in towns where both retailers have a presence.

Restructuring experts expect several more high street names to go into administration today as their lenders close them down before they have to pay rent bills due on Christmas Day.

Zavvi started lift as part of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Megastores but changed it name after being sold to Simon Douglas, the Zavvi chief executive, for £1 last year. Virgin Group, which backed the management buyout of Zavvi, could be liable for millions of pounds because it has guaranteed Zavvi’s orders with EUK. Virgin has underwritten about 60 days of credit for Zavvi, which ends next month.

Virgin, Zavvi’s biggest creditor, brought in Ernst & Young earlier this month with the consent of the retailer’s manager, following pressure from EUK’s administrator Deloitte. Deloitte and Woolworths’ lenders Burdale, part of the Bank of Ireland, and GMAC, wanted to ensure they realised as much of the £106m they were owed by Zavvi as possible.

The administration is only over Zavvi’s 114 UK stores, its 11 Irish stores are not part of the process.

E&Y will continue to trade the business in the hope of finding a buyer for some of the stores.

E&Y partner Tom Jack said: “Since EUK went into administration, and perhaps before, the impact of problems at EUK on the zavvi Group has been significant. Minimal deliveries, no returns and worse trading terms are just some of the areas impacted.

“In the absence of a buyer for EUK, and with dire trading conditions on the high street, the Zavvi Group has seen a material fall in sales and the directors have now been forced to place parts of the group into administration.”

The failures come in sharp contrast to latest figures from Experian which ndicate there has been a last minute surge in trading.

Experian said footfall 47 per cent higher yesterday than last Tuesday whereas the day before Christmas Eve last year showed only a 19 per cent week on week increase in the number of shoppers.

“The traditional ‘slow and steady’ shopping patterns of previous years have now been replaced by a new breed of savvy consumers who either buy online or use internet sites to find the best prices on the High Street, before doing one or two big swoops to the shopping centres,” said Experian.

“Shoppers have certainly held off spending their cash until the very last moment, and with still one day to go before Christmas, retailers will be competing until the very last minute,” its report said.

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