Seven more Lancashire Bodycare stores to shut

Seven more Bodycare Lancashire stores are set to close later this week.

Lancashire Business View reported last week that the high street health and beauty chain was shutting stores in Darwen, Lancaster, Lytham St Annes, Morecambe.

According to reports, around 85 staff had been made redundant at the company's national distribution centre in Buckshaw Village.

The joint administrators of G.R. and M.M. Blackledge, trading as Bodycare, say despite interest in the brand, sale of the remaining stores is unlikely.

It has now announced a closure programme for the remaining 56 stores.

The business has confirmed stores in Blackburn, Blackpool, Burnley, Chorley, Clitheroe, Lancaster and Preston.

It is expected that all stores will close by Saturday 27 September.

All 444 members of staff at these locations will be made redundant upon the closing of their respective stores.

The administrators will continue to provide all support to those impacted, including supporting them with claims to the Redundancy Payments Service.

Nick Holloway, managing director at Interpath and joint administrator, said: “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.”

He added: “We will continue to explore options for the company’s assets, including the Bodycare brand, and will provide further updates in due course.”

Bodycare was created in 1970 by Graham and Margaret Blackledge from a market stall in Skelmersdale.

It has been owned by Baaj Capital since 2021 and is run by retail veteran Tony Brown, formerly of BHS and Beales.