Following Beauty Bay's filing of a notice of intent to appoint administrators, the retailer’s website has also gone offline, with a notice informing consumers that “we’ll be back soon."WHO: Manchester-based Beauty Bay was founded in 1999 by brothers Arron and David Gabbie. Originally named Fragrance Bay, the online retailer sells more than 200 brands on its platform, including Clinique, MAC, and Ariana Grande's r.e.m. Beauty, as well as its own range of products.WHY: Beauty Bay has faced intensifying competition in the UK market from Sephora, SpaceNK, Boots, and Cult Beauty, which have continued to invest in omnichannel expansion and experiential retail.IN THEIR OWN WORDS: A Beauty Bay spokesperson said, “Like many other companies operating across the retail space, we’ve been battling hard in the face of strong headwinds over the past 12 months. Cost inflation and fragile consumer confidence have had a heavy impact on consumer spending.“Over recent weeks, we’ve been working closely with our stakeholders to find a path forward, including exploring options for sale and investment, with the aim of putting in place a stable financial platform upon which we can continue to build. While we continue to explore the options available to us, we have today taken steps to protect the position of the business as we strive to find a way forward.”DETAILS:The notice of intent to appoint administrators was filed on February 17, providing a 10-day period of legal protection to prevent creditors from taking action while rescue options are explored.