Harrogate Bodycare puts up 'store closing' signs

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Just days after it seemed that Bodycare’s Harrogate store had survived the company going into administration, signs have appeared in its window that say it is closing down.

The health and beauty retail group went into administration on Friday after failing to find a buyer.

The administrators, from advisory firm Interpath, immediate announced that they would shut 32 of the company’s 148 shops and make around 450 of its 1,500 employees redundant.

But the Harrogate store on Cambridge Street was not included in the list of store closures, suggesting it had been saved.

Now, though, signs have gone up in the shop window advertising discounts of 20% or more and saying: “Store closing – everything must go!”.

The Stray Ferret has contacted Interpath for more information.

Bodycare was founded by Graham and Margaret Blackledge in Skelmersdale in 1970, but is now owned by Baaj Capital, a family office run by Bradford entrepreneur Jas Singh.

Bodycare has faced a series of challenges in recent years, such as rising costs, including rent and staff costs, a delayed transition to its online retail platform, and the cost-of-living crisis.

In addition, a planned stockmarket flotation in 2024 was aborted, which led to a shortfall in funding. This then placed strain on supplier relationships, resulting in a shortage of stock.