British chain Bodycare closes 32 stores: what is known about the bankruptcy.

According to The Sun: The British cosmetics store chain Bodycare announced its bankruptcy and closed 32 of its stores yesterday.

Bodycare, which started its journey in Lancashire in the 1970s and has 147 stores in the UK, appointed an administrator from Interpath Advisory.

Currently, 115 stores remain open while the administrators explore options for the future of the business.

The 32 stores closed immediately, resulting in around 450 employees being laid off.

Several stores began sales and closed their doors just hours before the administrators were appointed.

Stores in Wrexham, Beverley, Morecambe, and Yorkshire closed earlier this week, with Bodycare's website currently unavailable.

When a company goes into administration, control passes to the appointed specialist responsible for managing the company’s assets and operations to pay off debts to creditors.

The 115 stores remain open for now, but if no buyer is found, further closures are possible.

Like many other companies, Bodycare has faced challenges due to rising costs amid decreased consumer purchasing power.

Nik Holloway, Chief Executive of Interpath and joint administrator, noted: “This continues to be a challenging time for retailers as rising costs and decreasing consumer spending continue to press on operations.”

“Unfortunately for Bodycare, which has also faced a significant financial deficit, these difficulties proved too tough to overcome.”

The future of Bodycare in jeopardy

Current state of Bodycare stores

• Aston-upon-Lyne
• Barrow
• Barnsley
• Banbury
• Bedford
• Blackburn
• Blackpool
• Birmingham Perry Barr
• Bolton
• Bradford
• Bridgnorth
• Bridlington
• Bristol
• Bromsgrove
• Burnley
• Barton
• Bury
• Carlisle
• Castleford
• Chelmsford
• Chester
• Chesterfield
• Chorley
• Clitheroe
• Coventry
• Quimblan
• Darlington
• Derby
• Doncaster
• Dudley
• Dundee
• Dunfermline
• East Kilbride
• Eastleigh
• Gateshead
• Glasgow Braehead Shopping Centre
• Glasgow Fort
• Grimsby
• Halesowen
• Halifax
• Henley
• Harrogate
• Hartlepool
• Hereford
• Hinckley
• Huddersfield
• Hull Prospect Centre
• Hull North Point Shopping Centre
• Hyde
• Ilford
• Ipswich
• Irwin
• Keighley
• Kendal
• Kings Heath
• Lancaster
• Leeds
• Leicester
• Lee
• Lichfield
• Liverpool
• Livingston
• Luton
• Manchester
• Mansfield
• Mary Hill Dudley
• Middlesbrough
• Oldham
• Ormskirk
• Pontefract
• Pulborough
• Preston
• Preston Fishergate Centre
• Redcar
• Redditch
• Rochdale
• Rotherham
• Romford
• Rugby
• Salford
• Scarborough
• Sheffield
• Sheffield Crystal Peaks
• Shrewsbury
• Skelton
• Solihull
• Southport
• St Helens
• Stevenage
• Sterling
• Sunderland
• Sutton
• Sutton Coldfield
• Telford
• Tonbridge
• Truro
• Wolverhampton
• Workington

Bodycare, once a successful business known for brands like L’Oréal and Nivea, has been trying to overcome financial difficulties since the beginning of the pandemic.

The company, founded over 50 years ago in Lancashire, has been in talks with consulting firm Interpath and owners Baaj Capital to create a rescue plan.

The current owners, Baaj Capital, under the management of Jass Singh, recently secured a £7 million loan against stock, but their efforts to stabilize the business have failed.

The collapse of Bodycare adds to the growing list of retailers facing difficulties.

List of 32 stores that closed immediately

• Beverley
• Edinburgh Cameron Toll
• Kennock
• Clydebank
• Cramlington
• Croydon
• Darwen
• Dumfries
• Edinburgh Gyle Shopping Centre
• Erdington
• Falkirk
• Hemel Hempstead
• Kirkcaldy
• Loughborough
• Litherland St Ennis
• Macclesfield
• Medway
• Morecambe
• Newport
• Northfield
• Paisley
• Parkhead
• Pers
• Port Talbot
• Reel
• Royton
• Scunthorpe
• Stourbridge
• Tamworth
• West Bromwich
• Wood Green
• Wrexham

Problems on the high street

Not long ago, the stores River Island and Poundland avoided bankruptcy after gaining creditors' approval for their restructuring plans, which involved store closures and job cuts.

River Island will close up to 33 stores in January to pay off the brand's debts.

This impacts major cities in the UK such as Edinburgh, Leeds, Oxford, Brighton, and Pers.

The restructuring of Poundland involves closing 68 stores.

This program also includes reducing rent in up to 180 stores and discontinuing frozen food sales services.

Currently, the frozen food distribution center in Darton will close later this year.

This means that online sales and the range of frozen products will no longer be available at Poundland.

The national distribution center in Boston is also planning closures early in 2026.

As of September 16, customers will no longer be able to make online purchases, and the Poundland Perks loyalty program will be canceled.

Customers signed up for the Poundland Perks app have until January 15, 2026, to use their bonus vouchers.

Meanwhile, Poundland plans to expand its £1 product range and focus on women's fashion and seasonal products in the restructuring process.

Currently, the fashion retailer New Look has closed more than ten stores in the UK this year and has exited Ireland.

Last month, Claire's also announced bankruptcy and halted online orders.

The fashion brand Monki, owned by H&M, also closed its last stores on the streets in August.

Pain for retail in 2025

The British Retail Association predicts that the increase in National Insurance contributions for employers will cost the retail sector £2.3 billion.

The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) warns that around 17,350 retail stores could close this year.

This comes amidst a tough 2024, when 13,000 stores closed, representing a 28% increase compared to the previous year.

Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of CRR, noted: “The results for 2024 show that although the results regarding store closures generally were not as bad as in 2020 or 2022, the situation still raises concerns as we face an even tougher 2025.”

Professor Bamfield also warned of a bleak future for 2025, predicting that up to 202,000 jobs in the sector could be lost.

“Given the rising costs of doing business and household costs, there is a high likelihood that we will see retail job losses surpassing the pandemic levels of 2020.”