Bodycare closes more stores as administrators seek buyer

Bodycare, the UK health and beauty chain that collapsed into administration earlier this month, has moved to close dozens more stores and shed more staff as administrators attempt to find a buyer for the business. Officials and media reports differ on the scale of the latest cuts, but the company’s retail footprint and workforce have been sharply reduced in a series of moves this week affecting outlets across the country.

Interpath, the advisory firm appointed as joint administrator, said earlier this month that an initial 32 stores would close after Bodycare entered administration on September 5. In a subsequent update this week Interpath confirmed another round of closures, saying 30 more shops would shut, including 14 that closed on Tuesday and 16 that closed on Thursday, resulting in a further 235 redundancies and leaving around 85 stores trading while discussions with prospective buyers continue. A spokesperson for the administrators said stock shortages and the costs of operating stores made it “no longer viable to continue to trade all” of the previously retained outlets.

Other reports and later statements, however, have described a broader wind-down. Several outlets...