Fat Face Havant warehouse to shut after brand sold to Next - 180 jobs at risk

The Fat Face Ltd warehouse in Dunsbury Park, Havant, is set to close later this year as part of company-wide changes following the brand's aquisution by NEXT. FatFace has been based in Hampshire for more than 20 years and will continue to operate from the area following the closure. According to FatFace, "colleagues were informed of potential changes at the time of the acquisition" and will have preferential treatment when applying for new roles within the company.

A FatFace spokesperson said: "In October it was announced that FatFace was being acquired by NEXT. While we have retained management autonomy and creative independence, part of the acquisition involved moving to NEXT’s Total Platform infrastructure, which includes moving our warehouse to their site.

"Therefore, regrettably we are proposing the phased closure of our distribution centre in Dunsbury. We have begun a consultation with colleagues impacted and are supporting them through this process.  Colleagues will be offered the opportunity to apply for other roles at FatFace.”

Next purchased the FatFace brand in October 2023 for £115.2m. It is not yet confirmed when the warehouse will shut but it is expected to stay operational until September.