Bodycare returned to the high street earlier this year, after narrowly avoiding administration back in 2025.
Rolling out its new “Studio store” format, the brand initially launched two new stores in Derby and Sheffield.
Bodycare is continuing to push ahead with its plans to launch 15 new sites by the end of 2026, and more than 150 locations across the UK over the next five years.
For now, the company has opened another two shops in Leicester and Bradford.
“A huge amount of incoming interest”
Bodycare chief marketing officer Tash Courtenay-Smith explains that before each of its four store openings, there has been “a lot of excitement in the community leading up to opening”.
“There’s a huge amount of incoming interest and we’ve always had big queues,” she says.
“We’ve had a big showcase for our opening days, where we bring in the public creators and have our key team around.
“We’ve had performance elements like flash mobs and DJs.”
“Each store is building its own creator network of local creators. Many of them are nano creators who are tiny creators at the very beginning of their content creation journey.”
And she says that the interest from nano creators has got “progressively bigger with each opening”.
“It’s a real opportunity for them because in towns across the UK, you don’t necessarily get the chance to work with household name brands,” she points out.
Popular products and trends
The new Bodycare stores have led to certain products flying off the shelves.
Bodycare head of buying Katie Burley explains that across all of its store openings, it has been “absolutely overwhelmed” to the response it’s had to its Korean beauty products.
“I don’t know if it’s because they’re harder to come by and actually see, touch, and feel in real life, but we’ve curated a really extensive range that covers the full 10 steps within the Korean skincare routine,” she says.
“It’s our best performing section within each store.”
Additionally, she notes that there has been “a lot of excitement in stores” around its more premium makeup.
“Fenty Beauty has worked really well for us. A lot of people are absolutely speechless when they see the prices that we’ve had for Fenty.”
And on the “value, lower end” she claims Bodycare “literally cannot keep shower whipped foams in stock”.
“We do a range by a brand called Sunkissed, and they’re a really good dupe for the brand Sunday.
“We sell them for £3.99 and I think Sunday’s are £8.99,” she says.
Bodycare’s recent Bradford and Leicester store launches have been marked by exciting opening day celebrations.
Its Leicester store launch day, for example, saw Bhangra dancers perform at the centre.
Courtenay-Smith explains: “Bodycare is about fun, community and setting a vibe and precedent that we’re happy and the store is a vibrant, enjoyable place to be.
“The Bangra drummers were the UK’s only female Bhangra drummer act, who are local to Leicester.
“We’d previously done a dance performance in Derby but we added to it with the Bhangra drummers just to make more of a statement.
“There’s incredible talent around and we’re here for fun and having a good time.”
Another important element of Bodycare’s new store launches has been connecting to their local communities where stores are based.
Burley explains: “From a product perspective, we have really tried to create areas in store where we’re speaking to the local community.
“If you come into any of our stores, within hair care we’ve got a really prominent curls and coils range.
“So really leaning towards hair care products for Afro Caribbean and curl hair types.
“Within makeup, we’ve ensured that we’ve got a real broad spectrum of shades within each of our brands, so that customers aren’t feeling alienated.”
The exec also highlights that she feels Bodycare’s store staff “really represent the communities that we’re within as well”.
“Leicester is a great example, we’ve got a really diverse store team there and I think that’s really important,” she says.
Bodycare is now preparing for the launch of its fifth store, based in Merry Hill, West Midlands.
Courtenay-Smith explains that this store will have its “opening day showcase” on 10 October.
“What’s incredible is we have so much talent that now wants to work with Bodycare,” she says.
“We started off as a brand coming out of administration, and when we did our first opening day showcase it was just ourselves really, we had no ability to book talent.
“Now when we’re building our list of who’s coming, there’s a huge influx of interest from our nano creators, we’re talking to celebrity and influencer agents and they’ve all seen content on TikTok and want to be involved.
“So we’ve got a lot of people for Merry Hill wanting to be in some form of performance, and we’re just figuring all of that out now.”
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