Beauty chain Bodycare to close 30 more stores after administration

Bodycare will close a further 30 stores after the health and beauty chain entered administration earlier this month, administrators said, with 14 scheduled to shut on Tuesday and 16 on Thursday.

The retailer fell into administration on Sept. 5 and immediately closed 32 of its 147 shops, leading to the loss of about 450 jobs. Administrators said the moves follow an assessment that it is no longer viable to continue trading all 115 shops that remained open on appointment.

A spokesperson for the administrators said the business is up for sale and there has been "interest from a number of parties" in relation to some of the remaining 85 stores, the future of which they hope to secure. "Unfortunately, however, given the shortage of stock and costs associated with operating stores, it is no longer viable to continue to trade all 115 stores retained on appointment," the spokesperson added.

Nick Holloway, managing director at Interpath and a joint administrator, thanked staff for their conduct since the appointment and said the administrators would "continue to trade the remaining 85 stores while we remain in discussions with interested parties with the aim of preserving as much of the business as possible."

Before entering administration the firm employed about 1,500 people. Administrators previously said rising rents and the higher cost of operating stores had made parts of the estate uneconomic, echoing pressures facing many high-street retailers.

Bodycare, founded in Lancashire in 1970, is known for brightly lit layouts and prominent window displays that often feature stacked household goods. Its stores typically use warehouse-style shelving to display a wide range of low-cost health and beauty products, including lip balm, perfume, false nails and foot cream.

The stores scheduled to close on Tuesday are Bolton, Bromsgrove, Castleford, Chesterfield, Doncaster, Greenock, Mansfield, Salford, Skipton, Stevenage, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Thornaby, Ulverston and Whitehaven. The outlets closing on Thursday are Dudley, Dunfermline, Hanley, Hull, Hyde, Ilford, Ipswich, Morpeth, Newark, Northallerton, Ormskirk, Redcar, Rochdale, Shrewsbury, St Helens and Workington.

Administrators said they will continue to operate the remaining stores while engaging with potential buyers, with the stated objective of maximising returns for creditors and preserving as much of the business and employment as possible. They provided no timetable for a sale or details of potential bidders.