The owner of Solaray has announced that the brand will be pulled out of the UK as it closes its Manchester office.
In a letter to retailers and distributors, Better Being Co, which owns Solaray, along with Heritage Store, said that the Au Naturel UK wholesale office is to close as, despite efforts, it has been unable to secure adequate distribution and margins in the UK. Affected brands include Solaray, KAL, Dynamic Health and Heritage Store and any other brands previously marketed via the Au Naturel (UK) branch.
The letter explained that the first office was set up in Brighton more than 20 years ago and moved to Manchester approximately 10 years ago. But as a result of inadequate distribution and margins, they will be closing the Au Naturel UK wholesale office in Manchester, effective as of December 31, 2024.
In a statement to Health Food Business, Alex Treharne, Managing Director, Global Operations at Better Being Co, which owns the brands, commented: “For more than 20 years, our dedicated team members in the UK have been a key part of our efforts to support the growth of Solaray, Heritage Store and our other premium brands in the UK. However, despite this effort and the hard work of our team we have been unable to secure adequate distribution and margins to allow us to continue to operate a wholesale branch in the UK, which remains a very competitive market.
“The closure of the Au Naturel UK wholesale office is not a decision that has been taken lightly, but going forward, our international growth efforts will be focused on markets where we can achieve a leadership position as a premium brand. This decision means that in the near future, our brands will not be available for retail in the UK, but we continue to explore future opportunities. We are grateful for the efforts of the team, we truly appreciate our wholesale customers who have worked with us for the past 20+ years, and we would like to thank them all for their support.”
The last day to place a wholesale order will be October 25, 2024.
