The Dutch retailer has announced that it will close all six of its UK stores by the end of the summer.
The HEMA brand first launched in the UK in 2014 as part of the company’s strategy to grow into an international brand. However, this move comes as the retailer intends to focus its efforts on its core markets of the Netherlands, Belgium and France, putting a stronger focus on those areas where it feels the HEMA brand performs best.
Although HEMA Chief Executive, Saskia Egas Reparaz notes that it is unfortunate that the company will say goodbye to staff and customers in the UK, the move was necessary as HEMA has never managed to build a strong and solid position in the UK retail market.
Saskia Egas Reparaz, added: “We are now evaluating our entire country portfolio with the aim of being able to focus on a limited number of countries, which will allow us to better exploit growth opportunities in the future. This is better for HEMA, its employees and its customers in the long term.”
