Project Reset

As advisors to Holland and Barrett, the UK’s leading wellness retailer, Egremont Group designed and supported a people-led transformation to turnaround the much-loved business, delivering double-digit growth for two consecutive years.

In February 2023, Holland & Barrett was coping – but not thriving. After a turbulent few years, including Covid, rapid inflation, high executive turnover and a cash crisis, the health of the organisation was deteriorating. Sales were flat, market share under pressure, and teams fatigued by repeated transformation attempts that failed to deliver.

We worked side by side with the Executive Chair and leadership team to turn ambition into delivery; creating the focus, governance and capability needed to make change stick.

The programme was called Reset: Holland & Barrett’s chance to start again. Together, we designed the three-year end-to-end transformation: turning around a high street brand, rebuilding technology, redesigning processes and teams, all while delivering market-beating commercial performance.

Results were clear: over 10% revenue growth for 2 years year-on-year, record customer numbers up 9%, satisfaction rising from 34th to 7th in the UK – all while employee NPS rose to all-time highs.

But this project wasn’t about the numbers: it was about people. About teams revitalised and re-incentivised; about the trust, collaboration, and psychological safety built along the way; the individuals at every level who worked with us to create lasting change. Ultimately, by putting people at the heart of our approach, we created the conditions for Holland & Barrett to reset, thrive, and achieve record-breaking growth and engagement.