Around 85 people have been made redundant with immediate effect at Bodycare’s national distribution centre at Buckshaw Village.
Staff entered work on Friday (5 September) to the news that Bodycare was entering administration and that a number of jobs would be lost immediately.
Blog Preston has learned that around 85 people employed by Bodycare at their Matrix Park site have lost their jobs as part of the move.
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The centre has retained some staff to continue to operate while Bodycare stores continue to trade.
Along with the announcement of entering administration, which was made public later on Friday, it was confirmed that 32 stores would close immediately, including at Lytham St Annes, with 450 further employees made redundant.
Stores in Preston, South Ribble and Chorley will continue to trade while existing stock is sold and administrators can pursue the sale of the business and its assets.
At the Preston store inside Fishergate Shopping Centre, stock clearance signs were placed in the window and a number of the shelves were empty.
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.”
“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.”
Bodycare was founded in 1970 and began as a market stall in Skelmersdale. Its headquarters have been at the northern end of Buckshaw Village for around 20 years.
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