The British Heart Foundation (BHF), the UK's largest charity retailer, has reported a £3.3m retail loss for 2025-26 and announced plans to close around 150 shops over the next two financial years. The proposed closures include six branches in Wales: Aberdare, Bangor, Llanelli (Home Store), Rhyl, Swansea, and Wrexham (Home Store).
Closures part of sustainability drive
In its annual report and accounts, the charity said it had achieved "lifesaving progress in a challenging year" and that it responded "with urgency and focus: protecting people's hearts now while investing in the research, care and support that will save more lives in future."
The charity invested £103m in world-leading research, £10m in the BHF Data Science Centre, and £5m towards a global research programme on women's heart health. Total income reached £175.3m in the previous financial year, with legacy donations as the primary revenue stream, followed by fundraising and retail income.
However, BHF 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."
Retail losses and store numbers
Retail fell to a £3.3m loss, compared with a £3.6m profit in 2025. The charity said: "This level of financial return is not sustainable, such that following a detailed review of our retail estate amid rising operating costs and changing customer habits, on June 4, 2026 proposals to close around 150 of our shops and stores over the next two financial years were announced."
As of March 31, 2026, BHF operated 651 shops, comprising 470 clothing outlets and 181 home stores. During the year, it opened 11 new premises, relocated three, and closed 25 as part of its "ongoing optimisation strategy."
Full list of proposed closures
The charity said: "Like many retailers, we are seeing rising costs and changing shopping and donation habits reshape the retail landscape. To ensure our retail income remains strong and sustainable for the long term, we need to adapt how we operate."
The proposed closures include stores in Armley, Aberdare, Alfreton, Abingdon, Ashbourne, Bedworth, Burnley, Blyth, Beckenham, Balham, Barnet, Bath, Brighton, Bangor, Blackpool, Cannock, Clacton, Coalville, Christchurch, Cleveleys, Consett, Chorley, Camden, Crawley, Chesterfield, Dumfries, Dewsbury, Dalkeith, Eastbourne, Elgin, Eccles, Finchley, Falmouth, Fulham, Fakenham, Formby, Grays, High Wycombe, Hawick, Harlow, Hammersmith, Huyton, Hornchurch, Helston, Holsworthy, Hartlepool, Harpurhey, Hull, Hereford, Harrow, Ilkeston, Keighley, Kendal, Long Eaton, Llanelli, Minehead, Newbury, Newton Aycliffe, New Milton, Nuneaton, Newport, Ormskirk, Plymouth, Poole, Perry Barr, Rhyl, Rayleigh, Shrewsbury, Spalding, South Shields, Stockton-on-Tees, Sunderland, Swansea, Sutton Coldfield, Salisbury, Uckfield, West Bromwich, Worksop, and Wrexham.
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, BHF chief executive, said: "Our shops mean so much to our colleagues, brilliant 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."
She added: "We know this will be a difficult time for our dedicated colleagues and volunteers in affected stores and emphasise our deep appreciation and gratitude for all they have done for BHF and the communities they serve. Like most retailers, we are facing an exceptionally challenging trading environment. 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 ground-breaking research."
