British Heart Foundation proposes closure of 150 charity shops amid ‘challenging trading environment’
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has announced plans to close around 150 stores over the next two years, citing the need to ensure the store network “remains commercially sustainable” to support fundraising efforts.
Chief executive Dr Charmaine Griffiths said the retail sector was currently facing “an extraordinarily challenging trading environment”.
The organization said the proposals were made following a review process that left some stores “no longer financially sustainable” in the face of rising operating costs and evolving consumer habits.
Around 90 stores are scheduled to close by the end of March next year, with the remainder scheduled to close by March 2028.
The charity said there would also be cuts to headquarters teams and functions supporting its retail division, but the number of staff affected was not disclosed.
Operating with the support of volunteers, the stores help raise funds to support the organization’s research on cardiovascular diseases.
Dr Griffiths said: “Our stores mean so much to our colleagues, our wonderful volunteers and communities across the UK. They are places where people come together to donate, shop and volunteer, helping to make a real difference to lives affected by cardiovascular disease.
“We know this will be a difficult time for our dedicated colleagues and volunteers in the affected stores and we emphasize our deep appreciation and gratitude for all they do for BHF and the communities they serve. “Cardiovascular disease remains one of the UK’s biggest killers and our priority is to fund life-saving research.
“To maintain retail’s important contribution to funding BHF’s ground-breaking research, we must take the difficult step of closing some of our stores.”
The proposals come amid a wave of closures affecting Britain’s high street, with more than 6,000 retail outlets disappearing from communities across England and Wales in the last five years.
But there are tentative signs of improvement, with more than 13 retail stores opening every week last year, new figures show.
Analysis of Valuation Office Agency data by tax firm Ryan reveals there were 507,810 retail outlets in England and Wales by the end of 2025.
The data shows that the recent contraction in the sector is starting to stabilize, with a net increase of 723 retail stores compared to the previous year.
This growth was observed in every region of England and Wales, except the North West, which saw a decline in 41 properties.
This stabilization suggests that parts of the retail industry are beginning to rebalance following the profound structural changes witnessed since the pandemic.
