Holland & Barrett

"H&B" redirects here. For other uses, see HB.
Holland & Barrett International
Subsidiary
Genre retail
Founded 1870
Headquarters Nuneaton, United Kingdom
Number of locations
 Burton on Trent ,Dublin Amsterdam
Products Vitamins, Minerals, ethical beauty Enzymes, Herbal medicinesVegetarian food
Revenue £640m
Number of employees
 7000
Parent NBTY
Website www.hollandandbarrett.com
Holland & Barrett, King Street, Hammersmith, London

Holland & Barrett is a chain of health food shops with over 1110 stores in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium,Sweden UAE, China, Singapore, Spain, Malta, Cyprus and Gibraltar, Georgia, India [1]

History

Holland & Barrett was formed in 1870 by Alfred Slapps Barrett and Major William Holland, who bought a grocery store, selling groceries and clothing.[2]

They developed their business into two shops – a grocery store and a clothing store. It is also evident that in 1900 they occupied a store in the High Street of Epsom.[3] In the 1920s, Alfred Button & Sons bought the business and kept the name Holland & Barrett.[2]

Holland and Barrett has since changed hands a number of times. In 1970, Booker McConnell acquired Holland and Barrett, also acquiring Heath & Heather stores which they later renamed Holland & Barrett. Lloydspharmacy later purchased Holland and Barrett in 1992, after which NBTY acquired Holland & Barrett in 1997. NBTY was bought by American private equity firm The Carlyle Group in 2010.[2]

The brand has become synonymous with the sale of vitamins, supplements and homeopathy, to the point that pro-homeopathy MP David Tredinnick has been dubbed "The Hon. Member for Holland and Barrett".[4][5]

Advertising

Singer Kim Wilde featured in Holland & Barrett TV advertising between 2004/05. Former Blue Peter presenter Gethin Jones and actor David Jason have also voiced them.

A number of Holland & Barrett's advertisements and point of sale displays have been adjudicated as misleading, making unfair comparisons[6] or claims that are unsupported by robust evidence.[7][8]

Franchising

The company recently started its international expansion with franchising. The first three franchise stores opened in October 2008 in Durban, South Africa and the company currently has nine franchise stores operating in South Africa, all by the same franchisee. Singapore where the company currently has five franchise stores open and Malta with one store were added in 2009. The plan is to expand the Holland & Barrett brand globally with bigger country franchise partners and 2010 will see several country additions to the franchise business.

"Workfare" controversy

From February 2012, Holland & Barrett in the UK were subject to adverse publicity; boycotts; and demonstrations at stores, due to their use of workfare participants. The Company published no corporate response or interaction via social media for several months until, on 5 July 2012, Holland and Barrett announced it was pulling out of the scheme, citing the negative publicity. The Guardian reported that the company was "no longer prepared to face further bad press and in-store protests", attributing the change of mind to pressure from Solidarity Federation and Boycott Workfare - Holland & Barrett will "now pay all its workforce" and will "henceforth only take apprentices paid at the national rate of £2.60 an hour".[9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/careers/about-us
  2. 1 2 3 Bishops Stortford and Thorley - A History and Guide,
  3. ↑ Epsom Rate Book 1900 Street Order
  4. ↑ "Tory MP says astrology is good for the health". Daily Telegraph. July 25, 2014. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Astrology-loving MP David Tredinnick 'convinced' practise can reduce strain on NHS". The Independent. July 25, 2014. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  6. ↑ "WCRS ad for Holland & Barrett axed". Campaign. August 5, 2009. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  7. ↑ "The continuing saga of Holland and Barrett". Nightingale Collaboration. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Cod liver oil ad was codswallop, watchdog tells Holland & Barrett". The Grocer. July 27, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  9. ↑ Shiv Malik (6 July 2012). "Holland & Barrett pulls out of jobseekers' scheme". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 December 2015.

External links

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