Popular chain with more than 1,600 stores to ‘close high street branch' in blow to shoppers

The Sun

2 days ago

SHOPPERS were saddened to hear a popular chain with more than 1,600 stores is set to close a beloved branch.
Holland & Barrett are reportedly shuttering a once-thriving site imminently, in yet another blow to the high street.
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Residents in Inverness, Scotland, were disappointed to see a "closing soon" sign taped to their local store.
"We're sorry this store is closing soon but you can still shop at hollandandbarrett.com," it read.
Holland & Barrett is one of the UK's leading health stores and is known for selling a range of vitamins, vegan food and beauty products.
The company have not given an official shut down date as of yet, as reported by the Inverness Courier.
It is understood the lease on the shop may be up for renewal soon, which may have led to decisions being made around potential closure.
However, it is not known whether Holland & Barrett could re-open at a new site nearby.
This comes after the company announced plans to roll out more than 30 new UK stores as part of a three-year mission.
It will also be transforming 320 existing sites, as well as launching new brands both in the UK and internationally.
And, in its annual report, Holland & Barrett recorded double-digit growth for the second year running.
The firm boasted a 10 per cent year-on-year sales growth in the last financial year, and £524.2million in profit.
Scottish vintage clothing store launches huge closing down sale with 80% off
It added: "As a result, confidence is high that the company will see a third consecutive year of strong growth driven by the significant acceleration of online in fiscal year 2025."
Holland & Barrett were contacted for comment
This comes follows the closure of a branch on Hanley's high street in Stoke on Trent bit the dust.
They were forced to relocate, and ahead of the move, Holland & Barrett said: "We can confirm we will be closing H&B Hanley later next month and opening our new, bigger and better store in The Potteries Centre.
'We are delighted to be opening a larger store with an even wider range of products and an increased store team of experts to support the community on their wellness journeys.
'We look forward to welcoming our customers from our Hanley store soon.'
Meanwhile, not long ago the company confirmed its shops in Chard, Somerset, and Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, would be closing their doors.
This comes ahead of more closured from major retailers this month as the high street continues to face difficulties.
This year businesses have faced increased costs due to Government changes announced in the Budget.
An increase in employer National Insurance contributions, energy and rent costs and lower customer footfall have all piled on pressure.
As a result, some retailers have been forced to hike prices, review expansion plans and reduce the number of stores they have.
But remember, retailers regularly close shops for a number of reasons, not just because they are struggling.
For example, they may have a nearby store that is performing better or may want to move to a location that will have a higher footfall, such as a retail park.
Here is a full list of the shops we know are shutting in June 2025.
They include, but aren't limited to, The Original Factory Shop, Poundland, and The Works.
RETAIL PAIN IN 2025
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April.
A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024.
Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025."
Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.
"By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020."