By Tilly Walder
The Island faces yet another loss, as beauty brand Liz Earle announced the closure of its head office in Nicholson Road, in Ryde, yesterday (Thursday). The news comes after a number of companies on the Island announced redundancies, including Vestas and Hovertravel, with Snows car dealership also closing down its Island base this week.
Co-founders Liz Earle, an author and botanical beauty authority, and Kim Buckland, a skincare industry expert, launched Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare on the Island in 1995, which later became the Liz Earle Beauty Co. The brand was sold to Avon in 2010, and then on to Boots in 2015. Both co-founders have left the company. Liz Earle also has a production factory in Cowes and a retail outlet in Ryde, both of which are to remain open.
The IW Observer understands that the majority of the 100+ staff will move to work at one of the other Island sites, and are not at risk of redundancy. The remaining impacted team members, around 40, will go through a consultation process, with most offered relocation to positions on the mainland.
A spokesman from the brand’s current owner, Walgreens Boots Alliance, said: “Following a recent review, we have made the decision to relocate some of our Liz Earle Beauty operations, and close our Ryde-based office and warehouse. As a business we are committed to operating an agile and effective organisation and delivering the best customer experience. This was not an easy decision to make, but was taken to support this commitment and to ensure long-term, sustainable growth for Liz Earle Beauty, which remains a valuable part of our portfolio.
A spokesman said: “The large majority of affected team members will move to work from one of our other Isle of Wight sites. This will allow our teams to work more closely, creating greater connection and collaboration in our ways of working.”
Isle of Wight Observer