Holland & Barrett

Holland & Barrett (H&B) is a chain of health food shops with over 1,300 stores in 16 countries, including a substantial presence in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, China, Hong Kong, India, Saudi Arabia and UAE.[1][2]

"H&B" redirects here. For other uses, see HB.
Holland & Barrett International
TypeSubsidiary
GenreRetail
Founded1870 (1870)
Headquarters
Nuneaton, England
,
U.K.
Number of locations
~1,300
ProductsVitamins, minerals, ethical beauty enzymes, herbal medicines, vegetarian food
Revenue£640m
Number of employees
7,000
ParentLetterOne
Websitewww.hollandandbarrett.com
Holland & Barrett, King Street, Hammersmith, London

History

Holland & Barrett was formed in 1870 by Alfred Slapps Barrett and Major William Holland, who bought a grocery store in Bishop's Stortford, selling groceries and clothing.[3]

They developed their business into two shops – a grocery store and a clothing store. It is also evident that in 1900 they occupied a store in the High Street of Epsom.[4] In the 1920s, Alfred Button & Sons bought the business and kept the name Holland & Barrett.[3]

Holland & Barrett has since changed hands a number of times. In 1970, Booker acquired Holland & Barrett, also acquiring Heath & Heather stores which they later renamed Holland & Barrett. Lloyds Pharmacy purchased Holland & Barrett in 1992, after which NBTY acquired Holland & Barrett in 1997. NBTY was bought by American private equity firm The Carlyle Group in 2010.[3]

The brand has become synonymous with the sale of vitamins, supplements and homeopathy, to the point that pro-homeopathy former MP David Tredinnick has been dubbed "The Hon. Member for Holland and Barrett".[5][6]

On 21 June 2017, it was announced that a series of negotiations had commenced by NBTY on behalf of The Carlyle Group to sell off Holland & Barrett in its entirety. A few companies showed interest in acquiring the company, namely A.S. Watson the owner of Superdrug and The Perfume Shop, and KKR the private equity firm both showed an interest in early negotiations. It was a sale that could potentially be worth $6bn.[7]

On 26 June 2017, it was reported that Holland & Barrett was sold for £1.8 billion to L1 Retail, a group controlled by Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman.[8]

Advertising

Singer Kim Wilde featured in Holland & Barrett TV advertising between 2004–05. Former Blue Peter presenter Gethin Jones and actor David Jason have also voiced them.

A number of Holland & Barrett's advertisements and point of sale displays have been adjudicated as misleading, making unfair comparisons[9] or claims that are unsupported by robust evidence.[10][11]

Franchising

In the 2000s the company started to expand internationally using franchising. The first three franchise stores opened in October 2008 in Durban, South Africa and the company subsequently had nine franchise stores operating in South Africa, all by the same franchisee. In Singapore the company set up sixteen franchise stores and in Malta one store was added in 2009. A global expansion plan was set up for the Holland & Barrett brand with bigger country franchise partners, and several country additions to the franchise business were expected in 2010.

"Workfare" controversy

From February 2012, Holland & Barrett in the UK were subject to adverse publicity, boycotts and demonstrations at stores, due to their use of workfare participants. The company published no corporate response or interaction via social media for several months until, on 5 July 2012, Holland & Barrett announced it was pulling out of the scheme, citing the negative publicity. The Guardian reported that the company was "no longer prepared to face further bad press and in-store protests", attributing the change of mind to pressure from Solidarity Federation and Boycott Workfare. Holland & Barrett will "now pay all its workforce" and will "henceforth only take apprentices paid at the national rate of £2.60 an hour".[12]

References
  1. Barrett, Holland &. "Who We Are - Holland & Barrett". www.hollandandbarrett.com.
  2. "Holland & Barrett International - Holland & Barrett - the UK's Leading Health Retailer". www.hollandandbarrett.com.
  3. Bishops Stortford and Thorley - A History and Guide Archived 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Machine,
  4. "Epsom Rate Book 1900 Street Order" (PDF).
  5. "Tory MP says astrology is good for the health". Daily Telegraph. July 25, 2014. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  6. "Astrology-loving MP David Tredinnick 'convinced' practise can reduce strain on NHS". The Independent. July 25, 2014. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  7. Mark Kleinman (21 June 2017). "Superdrug owner plots Holland & Barrett bid". Sky News.
  8. "Holland & Barrett sold for £1.8bn to Russian billionaire". BBC. 26 Jun 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  9. "WCRS ad for Holland & Barrett axed". Campaign. August 5, 2009. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  10. "The continuing saga of Holland and Barrett". Nightingale Collaboration. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  11. "Cod liver oil ad was codswallop, watchdog tells Holland & Barrett". The Grocer. July 27, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  12. Shiv Malik (6 July 2012). "Holland & Barrett pulls out of jobseekers' scheme". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
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