Sorbet UK shuts in uncertain times after dismal Christmas
'In hindsight, we could possibly have tweaked the business model to more effectively reach our target audience'
Sorbet, the franchised beauty salon from SA, has closed its UK business after three years of operating there. Sorbet founder Ian Fuhr blamed a combination of factors, including the tough trading environment and high costs. The group has five stores in London, but the retail environment is a tough one and consumers are under pressure, with Brexit and the prospect of a no-deal - meaning the UK would leave the EU immediately on March 29, with no agreements in place about the future - adding to the uncertainty. Fuhr is still involved with Sorbet SA, an entirely separate and independent business from Sorbet UK, "with no shareholding or financial interests in the UK business". "Sorbet SA has thus suffered no financial loss as a result of the closure of the UK business," he said. "In hindsight, we could possibly have tweaked the business model to more effectively reach our target audience." When did they realise the venture wasn't going to work? "At the end of December 2018, when sales ove...
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