London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 11, 2025

Health foods chain Holland & Barrett develops taste for Planet Organic

Health foods chain Holland & Barrett develops taste for Planet Organic

The LetterOne-owned retailer is exploring an eleventh-hour deal to acquire the Planet Organic brand and other assets.

The health foods chain Holland & Barrett is weighing a last-ditch rescue bid for Planet Organic, the food and personal care retailer which stands on the brink of collapse.

Sky News understands that H&B, which is owned by the Russian-linked investment group LetterOne, is among a handful of suitors who remain interested in buying parts of Planet Organic.

City sources said that H&B's interest resides in its target's brand and intellectual property rather than its portfolio of 13 stores.

Like a number of the other parties who are in talks with Interpath, Planet Organic's adviser, a rescue deal would nevertheless entail substantial job losses among its 360-strong workforce.

One insolvency industry practitioner said on Wednesday that Planet Organic had decided to seek an extension to a notice of intention to appoint administrators that it had lodged late last month.

The extension will give it until close to the end of the month to finalise a deal.

Sky News previously reported that Planet Organic's potential buyers include Redbus Ventures, an investment vehicle set up by one of the founders of Lovefilm.

Waitrose, the grocery arm of the John Lewis Partnership, pulled out of talks about a deal with Planet Organic in March.

For Holland & Barrett, which has a supplier relationship with Planet Organic, a deal would make strategic sense although it would represent small change in financial terms.

A sale of the business was increasingly likely to take place through a pre-pack administration process.


Planet Organic chief executive George Dymond told staff last month that it had "not got back to the levels of sales that we were seeing before the pandemic".

"So, while we have taken every possible action to improve our position, including additional investment from our existing shareholders, we have so far been unsuccessful in raising sufficient funds needed to support the business and the growth plan.

"I want you all to know how very sorry I am that we are in this position - I am conscious that this will be a very uncertain time for you all."

Planet Organic, which was founded in 1995 by Renee Elliot, has been working with Interpath on a review of its strategic options since early this year.

The chain sells organic food and drink, as well as healthcare and bodycare products.

Like many retailers, its recent performance has been hampered by the pandemic and reduced city centre footfall.

It is understood to have been loss-making in each of its last two financial years.

A spokesman for LetterOne declined to comment.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
×