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Holland & Barrett

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"H&B" redirects here. For other uses, see HB.
Holland & Barrett International
Company typeSubsidiary
GenreRetail
Founded1870
Headquarters
Nuneaton
,
United Kingdom
Number of locations
Burton on Trent, Dublin Amsterdam
ProductsVitamins, Minerals, ethical beauty enzymes, Herbal medicines, Vegetarian food
Revenue£640m
Number of employees
7,000
ParentNBTY
Websitewww.hollandandbarrett.com
Holland & Barrett, King Street, Hammersmith, London

Holland & Barrett 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 and UAE.[1][2]

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 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 have shown interest in acquiring the company, namely A.S. Watson the owner of Superdrug and The Perfume Shop, and KKR the private equity firm have both shown an interest in early negotiations. It's 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

The company recently started its international expansion with franchising. The first three franchise stores opened in October 2008 in Durban, South Africa and the company currently has nine franchise stores operating in South Africa, all by the same franchisee. Singapore where the company currently has five franchise stores open and Malta with one store were added in 2009. The plan is to expand the Holland & Barrett brand globally with bigger country franchise partners and 2010 will see several country additions to the franchise business.

"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. ^ a b c Bishops Stortford and Thorley - A History and Guide,
  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. ^ "Superdrug owner plots Holland & Barrett bid".
  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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