For more than half a century, Bodycare was a familiar presence on Britain’s high streets—a place where shoppers could pick up toiletries, beauty products, and a dose of nostalgia. But as of this week, that story has reached its final chapter. On September 23, 2025, administrators confirmed that all remaining 56 Bodycare stores across the UK will close by Saturday, September 27, ending a retail legacy that began on a Lancashire market stall over 50 years ago.
It’s a closure that marks not just the end of a brand, but the loss of 444 jobs in the final wave, adding to the more than 1,000 positions already lost since Bodycare entered administration earlier this month. According to BBC News, the chain’s administrators at Interpath Advisory were unable to find a buyer for the stores, citing “the shortage of stock and significant costs” that made continued trading impossible. The company’s website now greets visitors with a somber ‘closed’ sign and a message detailing its fate.
Bodycare’s demise is emblematic of the broader crisis facing the UK’s high streets. According to Metro, more than 13,400 shops closed in the UK last year—an average of 37 every single day. And the pain isn’t over: the Centre for Retail Research predicts that an additional 132,945 local shops could disappear over the next 15 years. In this environment, even long-standing names like Bodycare, which once boasted nearly 150 stores and employed around 1,500 people, have found themselves vulnerable.
The roots of Bodycare’s collapse run deep. Founded by Graham and Margaret Blackledge on a Lancashire market stall in 1970, the brand grew to become a staple for affordable health and beauty goods. Its brightly-lit interiors and warehouse-style displays—often stacked high with toilet tissue, washing powder, and cosmetics—became a familiar sight in towns and cities across the country. At its peak, Bodycare operated 115 stores, offering budget-friendly perfumes, toiletries, and cosmetics to millions of customers.
But as the retail landscape shifted, so did Bodycare’s fortunes. The rise of online shopping, fierce competition from giants like Boots and Superdrug, and the relentless march of supermarkets and digital-only retailers all chipped away at Bodycare’s market share. Catherine Shuttleworth, chief executive of marketing agency Savvy, told BBC News that the sector has become “extremely competitive,” with shoppers able to “seek value in this sector everywhere.”
Jonathan De Mello, a retail analyst, pointed out that Bodycare’s “low margin value proposition meant it was reliant on shopper volumes, which have been declining for them given some of the more challenged locations they traded in, and the proliferation of health and beauty competition over the years.” He added that the brand failed to engage with customers in a meaningful way, compounding its decline.
Nick Holloway, joint administrator and managing director at Interpath Advisory, acknowledged the toll on Bodycare’s workforce. “We understand this has been a difficult period and so we want to further express our sincere thanks to Bodycare’s staff who, since day one of the administration, have maintained the strong standards of presentation and customer service that Bodycare was renowned for,” Holloway said in a statement reported by Sky News. He added that administrators would “continue to explore options for the company’s assets, including the Bodycare brand, and will provide further updates in due course.”
Bodycare’s woes are far from unique. As Metro notes, other retailers like Poundland, Hobbycraft, and River Island have also announced dozens of closures this year. River Island, for instance, recently said it would close 33 stores after struggling with high costs and significant losses. In contrast, Poundland narrowly avoided administration after a turnaround plan was approved just days before it was due to run out of money.
For Bodycare, the final store closures span the length and breadth of the UK, with locations in Greater Manchester, Oxfordshire, South Yorkshire, Cumbria, Scotland, and Wales all set to shut their doors. In the West Midlands alone, ten stores—including Kings Heath, Sutton Coldfield, and Merry Hill—will close, according to Birmingham Live. Many branches in the region had already been shuttered in previous waves of closures, highlighting the scale of the chain’s contraction.
The impact of Bodycare’s closure will be felt most keenly by its employees and the communities they served. As Clive Black, head of consumer research and vice chair of Shore Capital, told BBC News, “One’s heart has to go out to the good people at Bodycare who are losing their jobs, the suppliers missing payments, and the landlords losing rent. That is the vicious circle of business failure.” Administrators have pledged to “continue to provide all support to those impacted,” but the reality is that hundreds of workers are now facing uncertain futures.
Why did Bodycare fail where others have survived? Experts point to a combination of factors. Professor Adrian Palmer of Henley Business School explained to Metro that discount stores like Bodycare “need to rake in the money to get by,” but rising costs—especially increases in the minimum wage and National Insurance—have squeezed margins. Palmer also noted that Bodycare’s focus on traditional high streets, rather than out-of-town retail parks, left it exposed as shopping habits changed. “Like most discount retailers, it didn’t have sufficient margin to have a competitive online offer. In the online market space, the efficiency and cost base of Temu poses a further challenge to Bodycare,” he said.
Vix Leyton, a consumer expert at thinkmoney, suggested that the high street can still survive, but only if it offers experiences and services that can’t be replicated online. She pointed to Superdrug’s move to offer in-store beauty and health services, and HMV’s transformation into a destination for pop culture and collectibles, as examples of how traditional retailers can adapt. “The high street isn’t dead yet, but nostalgia won’t keep the lights on,” Leyton told Metro.
For many, the closure of Bodycare is a poignant moment. It’s a reminder of shopping trips with family, the excitement of a new store opening, or the comfort of familiar faces behind the counter. As administrators continue to explore whether the Bodycare brand might live on in some form, the end of its physical stores marks the end of an era for the British high street—a place that’s changing faster than ever before.
Bodycare’s story, from a humble market stall to a national chain and now to closure, is a testament to both the opportunities and the risks of retail. Its fall highlights the urgent need for innovation and adaptation in a sector where tradition alone is no longer enough to guarantee survival.
