Bird & Bird has been appointed as legal advisor to Bodycare, supporting the brand’s store relaunch programme across the UK.
Bodycare is a value focussed health and beauty platform, built on a simple idea: great products, great value, and a retail experience people actually want to come back to.
Originally founded in the 1970s, Bodycare is now being reimagined as a high-growth, discovery-led retail and digital platform, blending everyday essentials with curated finds across beauty, skincare, wellness and household. It’s where value meets experience, and where every visit feels a little different.
Bird & Bird is advising Bodycare on the first phase of its national expansion, supporting over 25 new retail lettings as part of the brand’s store relaunch programme. The focus is initially on high-performing locations across the north-west of England, with rapid rollout planned nationwide.
The firm’s real estate team is working across the full leasing lifecycle, including Agreements for Lease, Leases, Side Letters and Licences to Alter, helping to enable a fast, coordinated reopening strategy.
To date, 6 stores have been secured, including The Moor (Sheffield), Highcross (Leicester), The Mall (Blackburn) and St Johns (Leeds), with a further 19 locations targeted to open by the end of 2026. The long-term ambition is to scale to 200+ stores across the UK.
The first 25 locations will launch under the new Bodycare Studio format, a retail concept designed around discovery, content and community. Stores will combine physical retail with live content creation, featuring in-store studios, creator-led engagement, digital screens and interactive zones.
This format reflects Bodycare’s broader strategy: a fully integrated, omnichannel platform spanning physical retail, social commerce and online marketplaces.
The expansion is led by Managing Director David Stern, supported by a team focused on rebuilding Bodycare into a modern, scalable retail platform.
The Bird & Bird Real Estate team consists of Peter Nicholson (Partner), Erin Brayshaw (Legal Director), Andrew Stobbart (Legal Director), Emma Brindley-Raynes (Senior Associate), Tarik Kenan (Senior Associate), Charlotte Addley (Associate), Imogen Wade-Palmer (Associate) and Charlotte Brande (Paralegal).
Peter Nicholson, Partner and Head of Bird & Bird’s Real Estate Group in London, commented: “Bodycare is a much-loved British heritage brand and we are delighted to be supporting its return to the high street. This is a fast-moving and complex instruction, requiring close coordination across the professional adviser team. We look forward to continuing to support the business as it grows its national footprint.”
David Stern commented: “Bird & Bird have been a critical partner in enabling the pace and scale of our rollout. This is a complex programme with real momentum behind it, and their ability to move quickly, stay commercially focused and navigate the detail has made a meaningful difference. As we rebuild Bodycare into a modern retail platform, having the right partners around us is key.”
