Administrators for troubled OrotonGroup were hoping for a last-minute rush of bids for the business in order to create some tension among potential buyers.

Indicative offers for the collapsed retailer were due Wednesday. Oroton will be up against a tight timeline as it moves though the Christmas period into January, when it will need to make stock purchase orders for the following season. Sources said it is pivotal for the 80-year-old leather handbag and accessories retailer to get a deal in train, in order to gain the financial backing to move forward on the purchases.