Gwyneth Paltrow has closed the British branch of her Goop lifestyle store after losing an estimated £1.4million in revenue as a consequence of the global pandemic.
The wellness brand, famed for offbeat products such as psychic vampire repellent spray, sex dust and the notorious vagina scented candle, was originally launched by Paltrow in 2008 as a weekly newsletter.
It has since developed into an internationally recognised brand, with the Hollywood star, 50, opening her first UK store in London’s affluent Notting Hill in 2019.
Disappointing: Anyone hoping to get their hands on an orgasm scented candle might have to wait after Gwyneth Paltrow closed the British branch of her Goop lifestyle store.
But the shop was forced to close its doors as the coronavirus pandemic swept across Britain in March 2020, prompting the first in a series of nationwide lockdowns, and has remained closed ever since, suffering a substantial loss of earnings in the process.
It’s understood that Paltrow has since taken steps to dissolve Worcestershire based Goop Inc Ltd – the company responsible for handling her British store’s financial dealings – and removed from the official Companies House register.
Since its launch less than three years ago, the UK store has incurred substantial losses totalling £1.4million, reports The Mirror.
Closed for business: The Hollywood star opening her first UK store in London’s affluent Notting Hill in 2019, but it shut its doors during the pandemic and has not reopened
However the brand remains a lucrative global enterprise, and its quirky wellness creations – primarily designed for women – have raked in as much as £200million worldwide.
At the launch of Goop’s G. Label Core Collection clothing line in 2020, Paltrow’s doppelgänger daughter Apple, 18 – the eldest of her two children with ex-husband Chris Martin – modeled the designs.
While the brand’s British store is permanently closed, Goop continues to sell its products in shops across the United States, Canada and France.
Aroma: Paltrow famously listed a $75 vagina candle for sale in her online Goop shop and revealed that it originally started as a joke
Unconventional: The actress – who founded the website in 2008 -previously advising readers to purchase a $15,000 24k gold vibrator and vaginal jade eggs
Paltrow famously listed a $75 candle, cheekily named ‘This Smells Like My Vagina’, for sale in her online Goop shop and revealed that the geranium, citrusy bergamot, and cedar scented candle, originally started as a joke.
According to the product’s description: ‘This candle started as a joke between perfumer Douglas Little and GP—the two were working on a fragrance, and she blurted out, “Uhhh..this smells like a vagina”—but evolved into a funny, gorgeous, sexy, and beautifully unexpected scent.
‘(That turned out to be perfect as a candle—we did a test run at an In goop Health, and it sold out within hours),’ she explained.
Spicy: She has also turned her attention to the world of BDSM and in 2021 sold a nude underwear set alongside a black whip, which promised to fulfill consumers ‘fantasies’
‘It’s a blend of geranium, citrusy bergamot, and cedar absolutes juxtaposed with Damask rose and ambrette seed that puts us in mind of fantasy, seduction, and a sophisticated warmth.’
The actress previously advised readers to purchase a $15,000 24k gold vibrator and vaginal jade eggs.
She has also turned her attention to the world of BDSM and in 2021 sold a nude underwear set alongside a black whip (currently on sale for $72), which promised to fulfill consumers ‘fantasies’.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in 2017, Paltrow challenged critics of the brand while also admitting her celebrity status has aided its success.
She said: ‘I’m interested in criticism based on fact, not on projections. If you want to f*** with me, bring your A game.
‘I don’t know many young entrepreneurs who can call [Disney CEO] Bob Iger, [Facebook COO] Sheryl Sandberg or [Airbnb founder] Brian Chesky, and they are kind enough to waste a little bit of their day to help me.
‘So in that respect, my celebrity has been a huge asset,’
Opening u: Speaking in 2017, Paltrow challenged critics of the brand while also admitting her celebrity status has aided its success
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