[UK] 150 British Heart Foundation shops to shut as increased NICs and minimum wage take toll

In the UK, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) has announced that it will shut around 150 of its charity shops, BBC News reports.

BHF cited an "exceptionally challenging trading environment".

The charity, which has reportedly conducted a review of its retail arm, said rising operating costs and changing customer habits meant some stores were "no longer financially sustainable".

It added that its overall financial position "remains healthy" and that it continues to see strong fundraising and legacy income.

The BHF currently has 640 shops and stores across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The proposed closures will impact a quarter of that total.

It plans to close around 90 stores by the end of March 2027, and the remaining affected stores by March 2028.

BHF reportedly said it would publish the locations of the stores earmarked for closure on its website after affected colleagues had been informed.

It also intends to reduce the central teams that support its retail arm.

Charmaine Griffiths - BHF Chief Executive - stated that this would be a difficult time for colleagues and volunteers, thanking them for their contributions.

"Like most retailers, we are facing an exceptionally challenging trading environment," she said.

"Cardiovascular disease remains one of the UK's biggest killers, and our priority is funding research to save lives.

"We must take the difficult step to close some of our shops to sustain retail's important contribution to funding BHF's groundbreaking research."

The charity added that no single factor had led to its plans to close stores.

In addition to its network of shops and donation points, the BHF has online retail channels including its website and eBay.

It will reportedly continue to evolve its retail operations "to reflect changing customer shopping behaviours and donor habits".

In 2025, Cancer Research UK announced plans to close around 90 High Street shops by May this year and up to 100 more by April 2027. It did state that it would open 12 out-of-town superstores over the next two years.

In the announcement, Cancer Research UK revealed that, like many High Street retailers, it was facing "rising costs, inflationary pressures, and changing consumer habits - including reduced footfall, higher national insurance contributions, and growing competition from online resale platforms".

UK retailers contend that they have been hit with a wave of extra costs since April 2025, including increased employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) and higher minimum wages.

Source: BBC News

(Quotes via original reporting)

In the UK, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) has announced that it will shut around 150 of its charity shops, BBC News reports.

BHF cited an "exceptionally challenging trading environment".

The charity, which has reportedly conducted a review of its retail arm, said rising operating costs and changing customer habits meant some stores were "no longer financially sustainable".

It added that its overall financial position "remains healthy" and that it continues to see strong fundraising and legacy income.

The BHF currently has 640 shops and stores across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The proposed closures will impact a quarter of that total.

It plans to close around 90 stores by the end of March 2027, and the remaining affected stores by March 2028.

BHF reportedly said it would publish the locations of the stores earmarked for closure on its website after affected colleagues had been informed.

It also intends to reduce the central teams that support its retail arm.

Charmaine Griffiths - BHF Chief Executive - stated that this would be a difficult time for colleagues and volunteers, thanking them for their contributions.

"Like most retailers, we are facing an exceptionally challenging trading environment," she said.

"Cardiovascular disease remains one of the UK's biggest killers, and our priority is funding research to save lives.

"We must take the difficult step to close some of our shops to sustain retail's important contribution to funding BHF's groundbreaking research."

The charity added that no single factor had led to its plans to close stores.

In addition to its network of shops and donation points, the BHF has online retail channels including its website and eBay.

It will reportedly continue to evolve its retail operations "to reflect changing customer shopping behaviours and donor habits".

In 2025, Cancer Research UK announced plans to close around 90 High Street shops by May this year and up to 100 more by April 2027. It did state that it would open 12 out-of-town superstores over the next two years.

In the announcement, Cancer Research UK revealed that, like many High Street retailers, it was facing "rising costs, inflationary pressures, and changing consumer habits - including reduced footfall, higher national insurance contributions, and growing competition from online resale platforms".

UK retailers contend that they have been hit with a wave of extra costs since April 2025, including increased employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) and higher minimum wages.

Source: BBC News

(Quotes via original reporting)