The British Heart Foundation is to close about 150 of its charity shops over the next two years, after a review found that rising operating costs and shifting customer habits had made some stores "no longer financially sustainable".
The closures represent just under a quarter of the charity's 640 shops across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Around 90 will shut by the end of March 2027, with the remainder following by March 2028.
“British Heart Foundation plans to close 150 shops, citing rising costs and changing customer habits.”
Chief executive Charmaine Griffiths acknowledged the "difficult step" would be hard for colleagues and volunteers. "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."
No single factor prompted the decision, the charity said, but it is also planning to reduce the central teams that support its retail arm. The BHF will publish the locations of affected stores on its website after informing staff.
The charity stressed its overall financial position "remains healthy", with strong fundraising and legacy income. It will continue to operate online retail channels, including on eBay and its own website, and evolve its operations "to reflect changing customer shopping behaviours and donor habits".
The move mirrors similar pressures felt by other charity retailers. Last year Cancer Research UK announced plans to close around 90 High Street shops by May this year, and up to 100 more by April 2027, while opening 12 out-of-town superstores. It cited "rising costs, inflationary pressures, and changing consumer habits – including reduced footfall, higher national insurance contributions, and growing competition from online resale platforms".
Many retailers across the sector have been hit with extra costs since April last year, including higher employer national insurance contributions and increased minimum wages.
For the BHF, the challenge is to balance the need to fund lifesaving research with the realities of a high street in flux. As Griffiths put it: "We must take the difficult step to close some of our shops."