The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is to shut around 150 of its charity shops over the next two years, acknowledging that rising costs and shifting customer habits have made nearly a quarter of its stores “no longer financially sustainable”.
The charity, which operates 640 shops across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, said the closures would come in two waves: about 90 stores by the end of March 2027, and the remaining affected outlets by March 2028. It has not yet disclosed which stores will close, saying locations will be shared on its website once staff have been informed.
“British Heart Foundation plans to close 150 charity shops, a quarter of its 640 stores, citing rising costs and changing habits.”
Charmaine Griffiths, the BHF’s chief executive, said the decision was driven by an “exceptionally challenging trading environment” that mirrors pressures faced by many retailers. “Like most retailers, we are facing an exceptionally challenging trading environment,” she said. “Cardiovascular disease remains one of the UK’s biggest killers and our priority is funding research to save lives. We must take the difficult step to close some of our shops to sustain retail’s important contribution to funding BHF’s groundbreaking research.”
The charity insisted its overall financial position “remains healthy”, pointing to strong fundraising and legacy income. But it said rising operating costs – including higher employer national insurance contributions and the minimum wage – combined with a shift in shopping habits towards online platforms, had made some high street stores unviable. The BHF also plans to cut central teams that support its retail arm.
Griffiths acknowledged the closures would be a difficult time for colleagues and volunteers, and thanked them for their contributions.
The move follows a similar announcement last year from Cancer Research UK, which said it would close about 190 of its own high street shops by April 2027, while simultaneously opening 12 out-of-town superstores. That charity also cited “rising costs, inflationary pressures, and changing consumer habits – including reduced footfall, higher national insurance contributions, and growing competition from online resale platforms”.
The BHF said no single factor had led to the decision, but that it would continue to evolve its retail operations to reflect changing customer and donor behaviour. Alongside its physical shops, the charity sells through its website and on eBay.