Make-up brand Morphe has closed all its standalone stores across the UK, making 73 employees redundant with immediate effect, as the company pivots towards wholesale and online sales.

The viral beauty brand, which opened its first UK store in London's Westfield Stratford in 2018, shuttered all seven of its shops on Wednesday. Morphe has removed the standalone branches from its online store locator, now only listing make-up counters in Boots and Superdrug, as well as selected Selfridges, H Beauty and Flannels stores.

The news was first reported by Retail Gazette, with a spokesperson for Forma Brands, Morphe's parent company, telling the outlet: "Forma Brands has made significant progress over the last year positioning our business for growth by focusing on our flagship Morphe brand largely through our wholesale and ecommerce operations."

The spokesperson cited "disproportionately high store rent obligations" as a key factor in the decision to close the UK stores and one Amsterdam location. They added that this move aligns with the company's strategy to prioritise and expand its wholesale and e-commerce operations, mirroring its model in the US.

Forma Brands also announced an ownership transition of its UK wholesale and e-commerce businesses, which will now operate as FORMA BRANDS UK LTD.

The company expressed gratitude to its store teams and stated it is working to support them through the transition. In recognition of their dedication, Forma Brands LLC has provided goodwill payments to all affected employees, equivalent to an enhanced redundancy package.

This move follows Morphe's decision to close all its US stores in January 2023, shortly before parent company Forma Brands filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy. In March 2023, the company reached an agreement with lenders Jefferies Finance and Cerberus Capital Management to be acquired in exchange for $690m in debt relief.

Once valued at $2 billion, Morphe has faced challenges in recent years due to reduced demand for colour cosmetics and controversies surrounding its partnerships with influencers.

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