Q&A: Does Holland & Barrett Franchise in the UK?

Alice Tuffery, writer

Published at 03/05/2019, Updated on 04/05/2022 , Reading time: 5 min

Q&A: Does Holland & Barrett Franchise in the UK? — Photo © holland-barrett-logo.jpg

If you want to be part of Europe’s leading retailer of vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements, read on. We’re finding out whether there are any Holland & Barrett franchise opportunities.

Holland & Barrett is a chain of shops specialising in natural health and wellness products to help customers feel at the top of their game. As well as its own, branded products, Holland & Barrett stocks an extensive range of other leading brands, including Centrum, Seven Seas, MaxiNutrition, Dr Organic and Bioglan.

When you walk into a Holland & Barrett store, you’ll find products centred around several different ‘stations’. Many stores have an oil and vinegar station, a pick’n’mix station with dried fruit, seeds and other snacks, and a tea bar, which showcases a variety of different infusions.

The chain’s business model has proven immensely successful, leading it to open more than 1,300 stores worldwide and serve an ever-increasing pool of customers online.

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Does Holland & Barrett franchise?

There’s good news if you want to take a bite of the health food market: you can launch your own Holland & Barrett franchise unit. As it builds brand awareness across the globe in locations as distant as China and India, the business is keen to maximise its international success through franchising.

There are already 700 Holland & Barrett units in the UK and Ireland, catering to almost every major town and city, and employing over 3,000 staff in the franchise category alone. Worldwide, the brand has launched over 700 company-owned stores and just under 400 franchise units across 16 markets. This means there’s plenty of room for new additions.

Prospective franchisees should aim to locate a site of around 1,100 square feet, but there’s flexibility when it comes to store size. Franchisees could opt to open a standard, ‘large’ store to sell the full range of products, including chilled and frozen foods. Alternatively, smaller store models stock the core product range, such as fruit, nuts, seeds and supplements.

History of Holland & Barrett

Holland & Barrett was founded in 1870 and has grown through the centuries to become one of the most well-known health food and supplement stores on the high street. In recent years, it’s made a number of changes to attract and retain customers, and lessen its impact on the planet.

In 2011, it started to treat loyal customers to keep them coming back for more and its Rewards for Life scheme now has more than 10 million members in the UK alone. For every £1 or €1 spent, customers earn four points, which they can then use in-store. Points can be earned on the high street or online, so online customers in countries such as Lithuania, Gibraltar, Kazakhstan and Russia can access the benefits too.

Today, it’s even easier to clock up points with the Rewards for Life mobile app, which was launched in 2014. The app is just one example of Holland & Barrett’s focus on technology. Over the years, the brand has invested around £30 million in new tools to improve the way in which it communicates with consumers.

Did you know? Holland & Barrett was founded in 1870.

In 2015, Holland & Barrett officially recognised the 10 million people in the UK who have food allergies or intolerances by creating the largest ‘Free From’ food range of any UK store. It started off with 600 products and intends to expand its ‘Free From’ range to 3,000 items. The business has also established a partnership with Allergy UK.

In the same year, the brand also decided to capitalise on its previous success by launching Holland & Barrett More, a larger outlet of over 5,500 square feet. These ‘More’ locations have deli counters, as well as staff who can measure customers’ Body Mass Index, hydration level and body fat percentage.

The health product retailer is also dedicated to reducing its impact on the environment, and in 2007, it started its Plan-it Green project. Since then, it has minimised its dependency on sea and air travel by sourcing over 95 percent of its stock from UK suppliers. It was also the first retailer to dispense with plastic bags (six years before the government’s introduction of the 5p charge) and eliminate plastic microbeads from all its products. What’s more, all Holland & Barrett promotional material is made using renewable materials.

Starting a Holland & Barrett franchise unit

If you want to sell health foods and supplements, investing in the Holland & Barrett franchise could be the right move for you.

Becoming a Holland & Barrett franchisee: Investors who choose to join Holland & Barrett will benefit from the retailer’s 145 years of experience in the health and supplement sector.
How much you need to invest: Holland & Barrett hasn’t revealed how much it might cost to open a franchise unit. But it’s safe to say the opening of a large store will require a significantly higher investment than a smaller store stocking the core product range.
What you get for your investment: All investors benefit from “one of the most extensive staff training programmes in the retail industry”. Holland & Barrett has created its very own ‘Natural Health Academy’, which teaches A Level-equivalent qualifications, which are officially accepted by the government’s Education Development International scheme. Franchisees can also take part in the business’ ‘Healthy Experts Training’, with guidance on the store’s core elements, such as sports nutrition, natural beauty and food.

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Become a Holland & Barrett franchisee

As healthy eating becomes a bigger priority for many consumers, launching a wellness franchise could be a lucrative move. We’ve looked at the Holland & Barrett franchise opportunity, but there are plenty of other options if this one isn’t for you. Take a look at our other articles for more information:

Or browse our current retail franchise opportunities here.