Interpath confirms Bodycare estate closure and 444 redundancies

Interpath Advisory has confirmed that Bodycare is set to close all of its remaining stores, resulting in 444 redundancies, after joint administrators from the firm failed to secure a sale of the business. 

The firm said it had continued discussions with a number of parties who expressed interest in the business, including the Bodycare brand. 

However, joint administrators from Interpath said a sale of the stores was now “unlikely”, and due to a shortage of stock and high operation costs, it is “no longer viable to continue to trade the business”. 

It will now launch a closure programme for the remaining 56 stores, with all sites expected to close by Saturday 27 September. All 444 members of staff at these locations will be made redundant upon the closures.

Earlier this month, Nick Holloway, Chris Pole and Mike Leeds from Interpath were appointed joint administrators to G.R. and M.M. Blackledge plc, trading as Bodycare.

At the time of their appointment, they said they intended to continue to trade the majority of Bodycare’s stores while assessing options for the business, including the possibility of a sale of the business and its assets. 

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.

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