As one of the UK pioneers in the flack pack mail order phenomenon MFI was one of the very first home and office furniture retailers to sell the undeniably convenient flat packs back in the 1960s.

Now in administration, the company originally chose its name as Mullard Furniture Industries, however, the company became more widely known by its abbreviation and soon became the byword for the flat pack phenomenon when it first expanded and became the biggest self assembly home and office furniture retailer in the UK.

It sold furniture for bedrooms, bathrooms, home offices, kitchens, dining rooms and lounges from 192 stores employing 2,500 people.

Merchant Equity Partners took over the company in 2006 and started to shut down many manufacturing facilities in Britain to begin sourcing their goods from cheaper overseas sources in a bid to pull back profits after the company had hit hard times in the early part of 2000.

It seems that MFI just couldn’t survive, along with many other household names that we have grown up with over the years. Quite simply, this year's housing slump and economic slowdown has been merciless to this company.

The company was saved from bankruptcy in October 2008 by a management buyout which was funded by MFI’s existing private backer. It seems that MFI have disappeared along with many other high street stores.