The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has announced plans to close around 150 high street stores over the next two financial years, including three branches in Merseyside. The move follows a £3.3m loss in its retail operation, which the charity said was not sustainable.
The affected Merseyside branches are in Formby, Huyton and Ormskirk. The Formby shop is at 1 The Cloisters, Halsall Lane, L37 3PX, the Huyton branch at 37 Derby Road, L36 9UQ, and the Ormskirk store at 18 Burscough Street, L39 2ER.
Loss prompts retail review
The BHF's latest annual accounts showed its retail operation made a loss in 2025-26, compared with a £3.6m profit the previous year. The charity said the level of financial return was not sustainable and prompted a detailed review of its retail estate.
Despite the difficult trading conditions, the BHF said it had made "lifesaving progress in a challenging year", with its wider work continuing to fund research, care and support for people affected by cardiovascular disease.
Investment and income
During the year, the charity invested £103m in research, alongside £10m for the BHF Data Science Centre and £5m towards a global research programme focused on women's heart health. Its total income for the financial year was £175.3m, with legacies, fundraising and retail among its main sources of income.
As of March 31, 2026, the BHF's estate consisted of 651 shops, including 470 clothing stores and 181 home stores. The charity said changing consumer behaviour and increasing costs meant changes were needed to protect the amount of money generated for its charitable work.
Other North West closures
Other North West locations set to close include Blackpool, Burnley, Chorley, Cleveleys, Eccles, Harpurhey and Kendal, alongside the three Merseyside branches.
In its annual report, the charity said: "Operating the largest charity retailer in the UK and the largest eBay charity retailer in the world remains a privilege, but like most non-food retailers we continued to face challenging trading conditions in the UK this past year."
