The closure was formally announced via Instagram on March 10, though signs of the shutdown were evident earlier, with stores in various malls beginning to close as early as March 6, The Straits Times reported.
A Holland & Barrett spokesperson said that the company does not directly manage its Singapore operations, which were handled by franchisee Jay Gee Health.
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A Holland & Barrett store. Photo courtesy of the company |
“Due to changes within our franchise partner’s business, we understand that all stores are currently closed, and the Singapore website has been taken offline.”
At its height in 2014, Holland & Barrett had 27 stores in Singapore, offering vitamins, supplements, healthy snacks, and organic products.
Founded in 1870 as a grocery, the brand now operates 1,368 stores across 16 countries, per its website.
The shutdown of Holland & Barrett stores in Singapore came as a surprise to both employees and customers.
A Facebook user, who identified herself as an employee at Holland & Barrett, said her co-workers were unprepared for the closure.
“Everything happened so quickly, and it feels like a nightmare,” she said, adding that she had worked at the retailer for 12 years.
A customer told The Straits Times that before the closure, he had renewed his $88 per year membership and received two complimentary vouchers, valued at $150 each, which can be used until July.
He said that Holland & Barrett should not have permitted new memberships or 2025 renewals if the company knew it was going to close.
The brand was brought into Singapore in 2009 by MA Supplements – a subsidiary of Jay Gee Enterprises, according to Channel News Asia.
According to an e-gazette by the Singapore government on March 7, the directors of MA Supplements made a statutory declaration on Mar 4 of their inability to continue the business due to liabilities.
But a recent e-gazette from the Singapore government indicated that on March 4, the directors of MA Supplements issued a statutory declaration stating they could no longer sustain the business due to financial obligations.
