Shoppers began queueing from 4am as Bodycare welcomed customers back to its newly revamped store at Merry Hill shopping centre. The health and beauty retailer marked its return to the West Midlands destination with a celebrity-filled launch on Saturday, October 11, generating such strong demand that entry had to be carefully managed throughout the day. The excitement continued into Sunday, October 12, when additional queues formed after social media buzz spread the word.
Return to Original Unit Draws Massive Crowds
The store is located in its original unit on the lower mall opposite Asda. Bodycare’s chief marketing officer, Tash Courtenay-Smith, said the response exceeded all expectations: “We knew there was huge affection for Bodycare and real excitement about our return to Merry Hill, our 5th Bodycare store opening, but the response has been beyond anything we could have imagined. People were queuing from 4am, the energy throughout Saturday was incredible, and to see customers coming back on Sunday after discovering the event on social media was just fantastic.”
Courtenay-Smith added that the launch was designed to bring together talent, beauty, entertainment, and the local community. “Seeing so many people turn out, engage with the brand and share their experience has been an amazing endorsement of what we're building. The new Bodycare is all about making beauty more accessible, giving people the chance to discover brands and products they love at great prices, and creating a store that is much more than somewhere to shop. Merry Hill has shown us just how much people want that experience, and we couldn't be happier to be back.”
Celebrity Guests and Drag Race UK Finalist Perform
The launch event featured television personalities, beauty influencers, and a surprise headline performance from Rileasa, a finalist on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. Rileasa performed alongside Bodycare’s dance troupe, giving shoppers a memorable show. The event was hosted by Trewley Precious, star of Channel 4’s The Secret Lives of Gypsy Wives, and beauty presenter William Grande, also known as Snatched By Will.
Other guests included Freddie Bentley from The Only Way Is Essex, actress Montanna Thompson (Justine Littlewood in The Story of Tracy Beaker), BBC Glow Up Season Six winner Shania Parris, and beauty influencers Simran Kaur and Mawuse Rose. Comedy influencer Ethan Kohli and the Sud Brothers, Merry Hill’s viral window cleaners, also attended. Bodycare CEO Charles Denton and Emma Bellamy joined the celebrations, which included goody bags, music, product discovery, 'What’s in Your Bag?' interviews, and Find Your Shade masterclasses in the store’s Creator Studio.
Next-Generation Studio Store Concept
The Merry Hill location introduces Bodycare’s next-generation Studio Store concept to the West Midlands, offering a wide range of beauty and personal care products, popular brands, a free Creator Studio, and an immersive shopping experience. The return is part of a broader strategy to reinvent value retail for a new generation by blending essential products with creator-led commerce, AI-powered retail, and immersive physical stores.
Jonathan Poole, centre manager at Merry Hill, said: “Bodycare is back at Merry Hill with a bang, and we've seen such an exciting response. The grand opening weekend was a brilliant celebration, bringing together reality stars, TV favourites, beauty influencers, and local personalities for a show-stopping launch event. From its contemporary design and extensive product range to its Creator Studio and on-site piercing service, we’re excited for what the new store will offer to Merry Hill shoppers.”
The weekend turnout and continued interest on Sunday highlighted demand for a new kind of high street beauty experience—one that combines affordability, content creation, and community engagement. The reopening marks a significant addition to Merry Hill’s retail offering, with the store now fully operational for shoppers.
