British Heart Foundation to Close 150 Shops: Which Stores and What It Means

## What has the BHF announced? The British Heart Foundation (BHF), the UK's largest charity retailer with approximately 640 shops, announced on 4-5 June 2026 that it is proposing to close around 150 stores over the next two years. The charity said the closures are intended to keep its retail network commercially sustainable and protect funding for cardiovascular research. It cited rising operating costs and changing consumer shopping habits as the primary drivers.

## How many BHF shops are there? The BHF operates approximately 640 shops and stores across the UK, making it the largest charity retailer in the country. The proposed closure of 150 stores represents approximately 23% of the current network. ## Why are charity shops closing? The BHF closures follow a broader pattern across the charity retail sector. Cancer Research UK announced plans to close approximately 90 high street stores by May 2026 and a further 100 by April 2027, also citing inflationary pressures and rising National Insurance costs. Retail industry analysis of Valuation Office Agency data found that more than 6,000 retail premises disappeared from communities across England and Wales over the five years to 2025, though the same data showed signs of stabilisation during 2025 with a net increase of 723 retail premises across England and Wales. ## What does the BHF do? The British Heart Foundation is a registered charity (Charity No. 225971) that funds research into cardiovascular disease, which includes heart disease and stroke. It also runs a network of heart nurses and a cardiac helpline (0808 802 1234, freephone). The charity retail network raises funds for this research by selling donated goods.