Dutch retailer HEMA has announced that it has made the decision to close all of its six UK stores by the end of this summer. The decision comes as HEMA's new owners together with CEO Saskia Egas Reparaz aim for sustainable growth in the retailer's core markets. 

Saskia Egas has said: "Of course it is unfortunate that we have to say goodbye to our colleagues and customers in the United Kingdom. HEMA started in the UK in 2014 as part of the strategy at the time to grow into an international brand. However, we never managed to build a solid position in the UK market. We are now evaluating our entire country portfolio with the aim of being able to focus on a limited number of countries, which will allow us to better exploit growth opportunities in the future. This is better for HEMA, its employees and its customers in the long term."