Latest news with #HollandAndBarrett
The Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Popular chain with more than 1,600 stores to ‘close high street branch' in blow to shoppers
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. 1 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 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."
Times
15-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Weight-loss drugs boost health food sales at Holland & Barrett
The use of weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro is fuelling stronger sales at Holland & Barrett, according to its boss. Alex Gourlay, executive chairman, said the health foods chain was 'reformulating' its range to cater to customers using the new generation of appetite-suppressing treatments after a surge in demand for healthier snacks and drinks. The retailer is incorporating more high-protein and functional ingredients such as collagen and ashwagandha after a 34 per cent increase in food sales year-on-year. People on weight-loss drugs often express a preference for healthier foods as they may feel less hungry and have reduced cravings for unhealthy foods. 'GLP1 is a real trend breaker,' Gourlay said. GLP1 is a class of weight-loss medication and stands for glucagon-like peptide-1. He added that because of an 'insufficient public health care provision due to constraints on national health systems, there is an increasing unmet need which Holland & Barrett was well positioned to serve'. Holland & Barrett was founded in 1870 by Major William Holland and Alfred Barrett and has more than 1,000 shops, including over 790 in the UK and Ireland. The business has been owned by Letter One, an investment vehicle, since 2017. Total sales rose 10 per cent year-on-year to £884.5 million in the year to September 30 as customer numbers rose by a record 9 per cent, reaching a record high. Sales volumes across the group grew by 5 per cent. Gross profit rose 10 per cent to £524.2 million, which it said was a result of investment in the business's digital transformation strategy. Pre-tax losses narrowed to £61.8 million from £73 million the year before as its turnaround plan started to pay off. The plan included investing in employee training, renovating shop locations, product innovation and upgrading its IT systems. The chain, whose headquarters are in Nuneaton, ended the year with £72 million in cash and net assets of £644 million, compared with £32 million in cash and net assets of £526 million in the prior year. 'Strong growth' carried into the first half of this financial year, with sales and gross profit both up 8 per cent year-on-year and customer numbers and satisfaction continuing to rise. Gourlay said the company planned to open a further 36 stores this year after opening about the same number in the latest financial year. • Should we all be eating our food raw? Asked if Letter One was considering a sale of the Holland & Barrett chain, he said the owners 'see this business as a business that they want to hold for a while. They want to invest in it.' He added that a flotation had also not been discussed. 'I don't think it is on the plan at the moment for obvious reasons because it's not easy to list a business at the moment.'
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Holidaymaker shares 'genius' hack to turn on hotel lights without your key card - and people are shocked at how easy it is
A holidaymaker has shared a 'genius' way to turn on the lights in a hotel room without using a key card. The use of key cards to activate room lights and power might have become commonplace in many hotels across the globe, but the practice can also cause an inconvenience to some guests. If the key card is removed, electric outlets are also deactivated, making it impossible to charge devices while the room is unoccupied. Equally, for guests who wish to use the bathroom during the night, it can be hard to find and place the key card in its slot to switch on the lights. Thankfully, lifestyle blogger Nia Braidford has shared a practical solution to switching on the lights in a hotel room without the need for a specific card, as reported by the Express. Taking to TikTok, she explained to her followers in a video: 'Sorry, I might have been living on a foreign planet but you know when you're in a hotel and you have to put your key card in the thing to make the lights work, like the little pocket. 'Well, my mother has taken the card so now the lights aren't meant to work, but did you know you can put any card in?' Brandishing a Holland & Barrett rewards card, the TikToker inserted it into the key card slot, which, to her surprise, proved successful in switching on the lights. In the comments, over 300 viewers praised Nia's 'genius' trick, as one said: 'I literally would have sat with no lights! Every day is a school day.' A second wrote, 'Nice hack. I didn't know,' while a third commented, 'That's genius!!' A former hotel employee added: 'Doesn't even have to be a card! When I was a hotel housekeeper we used to use folded up scraps of paper to do it.' Nia's claim has been backed up by dozens of holidaymakers on Reddit who have shared photos of their credit, energy and membership cards in their hotel room's key card slots. However, a number of seasoned hotel guests warn that swapping the key card for another card doesn't always work. One user wrote: 'Doesn't work, I have been in 4 different hotels in the last month, 3 needed a card for power and none of them worked with a random card.' Another said: '80% of all the hotels I was in in SE Asia this year required a true room key, not just a random card.' A third recalled: 'We tried that once, but they changed the key (I'm guessing it was the code in the strip or something?) so that only the new one worked in the door and lights. Ugh, so frustrating!' Elsewhere, an expert has revealed a little-known hack that allows non-guests to indulge in free food and drink all day at chain hotels from just £25 per person. Most would think executive lounges are reserved for hotel guests on their member schemes, where they're generally offered complimentary breakfast, canapes, drinks, and other premium amenities. However, many lounges can actually be accessed by non-guests for a set price - and some kids can even go free. David Haines, a concierge at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, explained to The Sun that his hotel offers adult guests access to the executive lounge for £55, while children aged 12 to 18 can visit for £35, and children under 12 go free.
The Sun
10-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Popular health store suddenly closes in town centre leaving shoppers devastated
SHOPPERS have been left devastated and shocked after a popular town centre health store closed down. The Vitamin Shop in Watford is said to have been down for a month now, without explanation as to why. 1 The health and fitness supplement store has had its fixtures and fitting stripped out for refurbishment. With no announcement made in social media, the store has been listed as permanently closed on Google. There are expectations a new business will move in soon. The unit and its two-bedroom flat upstairs were made available for rent together at £27k per year earlier in the week. Th property therefore has a value of £50 per square foot of the, which is rateable at £6.9k. Managed by Perry Holt Property Consultants, the property is described to be 'prominently located'. It sits on a major thoroughfare in a 'well-established area for secondary retailers'. Closure of the Vitamin Shop is among many retailers around the UK that have stopped their operations. Another supplements store, a Holland & Barrett branch in Stoke on Trent, also closed down earlier in the year. This similarly caused devastation for shoppers in the local community, with one who took to social media and wrote: "It's all over.' According to a report by the Centre for Retail Research, an average of 37 high street shops closed every day across the UK last year. On top of that, the Centre for Retail Research has warned that 'worse is set to come in 2025'.
