Holland & Barrett closes all stores in Singapore after more than 15 years of operations
Holland & Barrett has become the latest retailer to exit the Singapore market, reportedly closing all its 12 stores in Singapore.
The closures were announced in an Instagram post on Monday (10 March) by the British wellness brand, directing customers to its website instead.
Source: @hollandandbarrettsg on Instagram
Some stores cleared out days ago
Holland & Barrett’s stores across Singapore started winding up as early as last Thursday (6 March), The Straits Times (ST) reported.
Outlets in five malls ST visited that day had empty shelves or workers clearing them.
Source: Google Maps
Last Friday (7 March), its Nex branch was boarded up, while a sign outside its AMK Hub store said it was “currently closed”.
Former employee expresses sadness, says it’s ‘truly heartbreaking’
A Holland & Barrett employee who had worked there for 12 years expressed her sadness about the closure, saying it was “truly heartbreaking”.
Posting a Facebook reel with a photo of her now-former-colleagues on 7 March, she said staff were “shocked” and “not really prepared for this outcome”, adding:
Everything happened so quickly, and it feels like a nightmare.
Source: Facebook
She thanked those she had worked with and said she would miss Holland & Barrett as it had been “a huge part” of her life for more than a decade.
Another woman who had worked at the company for 15 years also professed sadness, saying she would miss her colleagues.
Source: Facebook
Customers affected as Holland & Barrett closes
Customers were also affected by the sudden closure, with one posting about it on 4 March in Complaint Singapore on Facebook.
He warned other members that Holland & Barrett was closing down nationwide in the next few days, and advised them to buy some goods to get back their fees.
Source: Trishula Bearer via Complaint Singapore on Facebook
He had just renewed his membership earlier this year, he said, receiving S$300 in complimentary vouchers that would be “wasted”.
He said the company shouldn’t have taken on new members this year if they knew they were closing down.
Holland & Barrett closes after more than 15 years of operations
Holland & Barrett opened in Singapore in 2009, brought in by MA Supplements.
Source: Google Maps
By 2014, it had 27 stores in the Republic, according to The New Paper.
However, on 7 March the directors of MA Supplements made a statutory declaration in the Government Gazette, saying they could not continue the business due to its liabilities.
Source: Government Gazette
As of 4 March, MA Supplements is in the midst of liquidation, according to its file with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority seen by ST.
Queries sent to Holland & Barrett Singapore have not been answered as of 10 March.
Also read: Eggslut closes last outlet in S’pore at Scotts Square after 3.5 years of operations
Eggslut closes last outlet in S’pore at Scotts Square after 3.5 years of operations
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Featured image adapted from @hollandandbarrettsg on Instagram and Google Maps.
