Bodycare to shut 32 stores with 450 job losses after hiring administrators

High street beauty chain Bodycare is to shut 32 of its shops across the UK after falling into administration.

The retailer said it will make around 450 of its roughly 1,500-strong workforce redundant as a result.

Bodycare, which currently has 147 UK stores, was founded in 1970 in Lancashire and sells beauty products, as well as fragrances and other bathroom items.

But the business said it had come under pressure from rising costs, a delayed transition from its online retail platform and cost-of-living pressures on its shoppers.

Bodycare said it also suffered a shortfall in funding after aborting a planned stock market listing last year, which also impacted supplier relationships and led to stock shortages.

The company hired administrators from advisory firm Interpath, who are now looking at a potential rescue sale of the business and its assets, on Friday.

The insolvency specialists have said they will continue to run the business from the majority of its shops for the time being.

These shops “will remain open and operational as usual”, the company said.

Nick Holloway, joint administrator and managing director at Interpath, said: “These remain challenging times for high street retailers as rising costs and reduced consumer spending continue to weigh heavily on trading.

“Unfortunately for Bodycare, which was also contending with a significant funding gap and increasing creditor pressure, these challenges proved too difficult to overcome.

“Our intention is to trade the majority of the company’s stores in order to realise stock while we explore options for a possible sale of the business and its assets.

“In addition, and as a matter of priority, we will be providing all support to those employees impacted by redundancy, including supporting them in making claims to the redundancy payments service.”