Holland & Barrett shutters all of its 12 outlets here

Staff, customers had no notice; records show local franchise partner in liquidation

- Aqil Hamzah

British health and wellness retailer Holland & Barrett has closed all 12 of its outlets in Singapore, marking an exit for the brand after more than 15 years.

The closure was officially announced on its Instagram page on March 10, although it is believed that its physical stores across different malls had started shuttering as early as March 6.

When The Straits Times visited five outlets that day at Takashimaya Shopping Centre, 313@somerset, Isetan Scotts, Suntec City and Nex, the store shelves were either already emptied or workers were in the midst of packing up.

The store at Nex was subsequently boarded up on March 7.

Meanwhile, the outlet at AMK Hub had a sign put up on March 7 informing customers that it was "currently closed", redirecting customers to hollandandbarrett.com "for the latest news in health and wellness".

That same day, a Facebook user, who identified herself as an employee at Holland & Barrett, said her co-workers were all surprised and unprepared for the closure.

"Everything happened so quickly, and it feels like a nightmare," she said, adding that she had worked at the retailer for 12 years.