After several months of uncertainty over its fate, this British brand created in 1976 has definitively closed its doors in France.
While several fashion brands are going through a real crisis, beauty is not left out. In France, KooKaï, Camaïeu, San Marina, and Naf Naf have found themselves in great difficulty. It is now The Body Shop’s turn to close its doors. Indeed, since this winter, a horror scenario has been playing out for the cosmetics giant: on February 13, the parent company in Great Britain announced that it was being placed in receivership, dragging down many European subsidiaries with it. In the following months, The Body Shop survived in France, with a sword of Damocles hanging over its head. At the beginning of April, the verdict fell: the French branch was also placed in receivership by the Paris commercial court. The website has also been inaccessible for several months.
This week, on social media, The Body Shop announced the closure of its stores in France: “It is with great emotion that we announce the end of a beautiful adventure. Last Sunday, our French boutiques closed their doors. Since the creation of The Body Shop in 1976 by Anita Roddick and the opening of our first Parisian boutique in 1982, we have shared with you much more than beauty products“, we can read in a Facebook post.
If the adventure does indeed end in our countries, it seems that in the United Kingdom, the cosmetics brand is saving face. The company has entered into negotiations with a consortium including the investment company Auréa. So watch this space.
The Body Shop, an iconic brand of the 80s
Founded in 1976 in Brighton by Anita Roddick, The Body Shop has been one of the most popular cosmetic brands in France for many years. The company has never been afraid to take a stand and has positioned itself as a pioneer in environmentally friendly beauty products, with natural ingredients from ethical sources. It is also one of the first brands to ban animal testing and to introduce fair trade within its circuit. But that’s not all: The Body Shop was the first beauty brand in the world to market products certified by the Vegan Society.
In the 80s, the brand’s popularity exploded and it remained at the top for many years. In 2006, it was even bought by the L’Oréal group (a decision widely criticized by the public), before being sold to Natura&Co. These changes of ownership, as well as the health crisis and the current economic context, will have been the end of The Body Shop. The end of an era.