Bodycare closes all stores: what will happen to employees.

Closure of Bodycare Stores

According to The Sun: The well-known cosmetic retailer Bodycare is closing its last stores this weekend due to an administration procedure.

Previously, the company operated 115 stores, but this month was forced to appoint administrators from Interpath Advisory.

Consumers are actively clearing shelves after the announcement of major sales ahead of the closure.

Since the announcement of the closure, 32 stores have already closed, resulting in approximately 450 employees being laid off. Another 30 closed a week later, leaving only 56 open.

However, administrators confirmed that it is no longer possible to keep the remaining stores open.

Despite interest in the brand, a buyer could not be found due to product shortages and high business operating costs.

All remaining stores will close today.

According to customer feedback, many rushed to clear the shelves as the company announced discounts of up to 50% on clearance items.

This decision will affect 444 employees, who will also be laid off.

Administrators assured that they will assist employees in filing for redundancy payments.

Nick Gholvey, Managing Director of Interpath and Joint Administrator, stated: “We understand that this has been a difficult time, and we would like to express our gratitude to the Bodycare staff who have maintained high standards of customer service since the commencement of the administration process.”

He also added: “We will continue to consider opportunities for the company's assets, including the Bodycare brand, and will provide further updates in due course.”

History of Bodycare

Bodycare started its operations as a market stall in Lancashire in the 1970s but later transformed into a chain of over 100 stores across the country.

At its peak, the company offered well-known brands such as L’Oreal and Nivea.

Which stores are closing?

The following stores are closing today:

• Ashton-Under-Lyne
• Banbury
• Barnsley
• Barrow
• Bedford
• Blackburn
• Blackpool
• Braehead
• Bridgnorth
• Burnley
• Bury
• Chorley
• Clitheroe
• Darlington
• Derby
• Dundee
• Halifax
• Hereford
• Hinckley
• Irvine
• Keighley
• Kendal
• Kings Heath
• Lancaster
• Leeds
• Leicester
• Leigh
• Liverpool
• Livingston
• Luton
• Manchester
• Merry Hill
• Metro Centre
• Middlesborough
• Mold Washington
• Newcastle
• Nuneaton
• Oldham
• Pontefract
• Poulton
• Preston
• Rugby
• Sheffield
• Solihull
• Sunderland
• Sutton Coldfield
• Swindon
• Telford
• Thurrock
• Trowbridge
• Wakefield
• Walthamstow
• Warrington
• Wellingborough
• Wolverhampton

These stores have already closed:

• Bolton, Greater Manchester
• Bromsgrove, Worcestershire
• Castleford, West Yorkshire
• Chesterfield, Derbyshire
• Doncaster, South Yorkshire
• Greenock, Scotland
• Mansfield, Nottinghamshire
• Salford, Greater Manchester
• Skipton, North Yorkshire
• Stevenage, Hertfordshire
• Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire
• Thornaby, North Yorkshire
• Ulverston, Cumbria
• Whitehaven, Cumbria
• Dudley, West Midlands
• Dunfermline, Scotland
• Hanley, Staffordshire
• Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire
• Hyde, Greater Manchester
• Ilford, Greater London
• Ipswich, Suffolk
• Morpeth, Northumberland
• Newark, Nottinghamshire
• Northallerton, North Yorkshire
• Ormskirk, Lancashire
• Redcar, North Yorkshire
• Rochdale, Greater Manchester
• Shrewsbury, Shropshire
• St Helens, Merseyside
• Workington, Cumbria
• Beverley
• Cameron Toll
• Cannock
• Clydebank
• Cramlington
• Croydon
• Darwen
• Dumfries
• Edinburgh
• Erdington
• Falkirk
• Hemel Hempstead
• Kirkcaldy
• Loughborough
• Lytham St Annes
• Macclesfield
• Maidstone
• Morecambe
• Newport
• Northfield
• Paisley
• Parkhead
• Perth
• Port Talbot
• Rhyl
• Royton
• Scunthorpe
• Stourbridge
• Tamworth
• West Bromwich
• Wood Green
• Wrexham

Currently, the chain has faced financial difficulties that began during the pandemic.

The company spent several months seeking a solution with consulting firm Interpath and its owners, Baaj Capital. However, a recently secured £7 million loan did not help stabilize the business.

Market Issues

Bodycare is not the only retailer facing high costs and declining footfall.

Poundland recently avoided administration by striking a restructuring deal, which involves closing some stores and cutting staff.

The chain will close 68 stores and negotiate reduced rent in 180 stores.

It has also halted the sale of frozen food and stopped online sales.

Additionally, River Island announced the closure of 35 stores after a successful restructuring allowed by the court.

Family brands like New Look are also closing dozens of stores in the UK, while Claire’s protected its interests in administration last month.

In August, H&M closed its last Monki stores.

Retail Pain of 2025

The British Retail Association forecasts that rising national insurance contributions will lead to losses of £2.3 billion for the retail sector.

The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) also predicts the closure of about 17,350 retail outlets this year, as a consequence of a challenging 2024.

Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of CRR, stated: “The results of 2024 indicate that store closures remain a serious issue, and it will be worse in 2025.”

He also warned of an unpleasant forecast for 2025, when up to 202,000 jobs may disappear in the sector.

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