Bodycare Collapses: 32 Stores Close, 450 Jobs Lost as Brand Enters Administration

Health and beauty chain Bodycare has gone into administration, closing 32 stores and laying off 450 staff. Its website has also gone offline, showing a message that simply reads, “Sorry the shop you are looking for is closed right now.” The company, which started on a Lancashire market stall in 1970, has struggled with rising rents, fierce competition, and a slow pivot to online sales.

Bodycare has 147 shops and about 1,500 employees in total, with most locations still trading for now. Administrators from Interpath Advisory are looking into a possible sale, and its current owner Baaj Capital, run by Jas Singh, is reportedly eyeing a buyback. The firm had secured a £7 million debt facility just weeks before collapsing, using its retail inventory as collateral.

Retail analysts say the shutdown reflects the brutal environment for value chains, with intense pressure from rivals like Boots and B&M, shifting consumer habits, and rising operating costs. “Competition is fierce for every pound spent by shoppers,” said analyst Catherine Shuttleworth, who also noted shoplifting and labour costs are hurting bottom lines.

The stores closing are: