British Heart Foundation to close 87 charity shops across UK

The British Heart Foundation has announced the closure of 87 charity shops across the United Kingdom, including seven in Derbyshire, as part of a major restructuring of its retail operations. The charity cited an exceptionally challenging trading environment driven by rising operational costs and changing customer habits as the reason for the closures, which will unfold over the next two years.

The decision follows a comprehensive review that concluded a portion of the charity's approximately 600 stores are no longer financially sustainable. Under the plan, 90 stores are scheduled to close by the end of March 2027, with the remaining 60 of the total 150 closures to follow by March 2028. The initial list of 87 locations released includes shops in towns and cities nationwide, from Armley in West Yorkshire to Falmouth in Cornwall.

In Derbyshire, the affected stores are in Alfreton, Ashbourne, Chesterfield, and Ilkeston. The closures also include two "Home Store" format outlets in Alfreton and Long Eaton, and the standard Long Eaton shop. The charity emphasized that the move is a difficult but necessary step to protect its core mission of funding cardiovascular research.