Nick Holloway, Chris Pole and Mike Leeds from Interpath were appointed joint administrators to G.R. & M.M. Blackledge plc, trading as Bodycare, on 5 September 2025.
Founded in 1970 on a market stall in Lancashire, Bodycare is a high street retailer of branded health and beauty products, as well as fragrances and bathroom consumables. The Company trades from 147 stores across the UK and employs circa 1,500 people.
In common with a number of other bricks and mortar retailers, the Company has faced a number of challenges in recent years which have negatively impacted its financial position. This included rising costs, including rent and people costs, a delayed transition to its online retail platform, and the cost-of-living crisis impacting its customer base. In addition, a planned IPO in 2024 was aborted which led to a shortfall in funding. This, in turn, placed strain on supplier relationships, resulting in a shortage of stock.
Despite the very best efforts of the directors to address these challenges, and with creditor pressure mounting, the difficult decision was taken to file for the appointment of administrators.
The joint administrators intend to continue to trade the majority of Bodycare’s stores (115 in total) while they assess options for the business, including exploring the possibility of a sale of the business and its assets. These shops will remain open and operational as usual.
Regrettably, however, 32 stores will close with immediate effect and as such, circa 450 employees have been made redundant.
Nick Holloway, Managing Director at Interpath and joint administrator, said: “These remain challenging times for high street retailers as rising costs and reduced consumer spending continue to weigh heavily on trading. Unfortunately for Bodycare, which was also contending with a significant funding gap and increasing creditor pressure, these challenges proved too difficult to overcome.”
He continued: “Our intention is to trade the majority of the Company’s stores in order to realise stock while we explore options for a possible sale of the business and its assets. In addition, and as a matter of priority, we will be providing all support to those employees impacted by redundancy, including supporting them in making claims to the Redundancy Payments Service.”
