While the parent company filed for bankruptcy at the beginning of February, the fate of the 66 French stores seems more threatened than ever.
After fashion, it’s the turn of beauty brands to lower the curtain. The pioneer of natural beauty is struggling. On February 13, 2023, the British branch and parent company of The Body Shop was placed in receivership, bringing with it numerous European subsidiaries, starting with Germany. If the domino effect is still taking its course, the question of the fate of The Body Shop France is on everyone’s lips.
The brand is closing many stores in the UK and Canada
Placed in receivership at the beginning of February, it did not take long for The Body Shop UK to pay the price of its new status. In all, no less than 75 stores would close shop in the coming weeks and 489 jobs are expected to be lost, according to figures reported by the BBC News. In other words, this means that, combined with cost cuts at the company’s headquarters, between 750 and 800 people will be laid off shortly. Despite everything, the cosmetics brand will keep 116 stores open in the United Kingdom. Hot on its heels, the Canadian subsidiary also filed for bankruptcy on Friday March 1, 2024, announcing that it would liquidate nearly a third of its 105 stores across the country. The company has since ceased sales on its online site.
A pioneering brand that is now falling into disuse… But why?
Founded in 1976 by the entrepreneur Anita Roddick and her husband, The Body Shop opened its first store in Brighton, a small seaside resort south of London. The brand quickly became famous for its natural beauty products and its commitment against animal testing. A few decades later, in 2006, the couple decided to sell their company to the group L’Orealto the great dismay of certain regulars who considered the activities of the French giant in total contradiction with the philosophy of the brand.
“The Body Shop will close 75 stores and cut hundreds of jobs”
Since then, it has changed hands twice. It was first bought by the Brazilian Natura Cosmeticos in 2017 and then sold to the German investment fund Aurelius on December 28, 2023. In the space of a few weeks, the latter chose to put the label into liquidation following poor sales at Christmas and in January. Aurelius also announced its intention to separate from around ten European and Asian markets, in order to recover the brand, according to comments collected by FashionNetwork.com.
What future for stores located in France?
If for the moment the French activities of The Body Shop are not part of this sale, it has still plunged the 66 French stores into a climate of tension and uncertainty. For the moment, deliveries from the United Kingdom to France have been interrupted and the e-commerce site is inaccessible. Finally, Hugues Laurençongeneral manager of The Body Shop France, has reportedly resigned from his position and is preparing to join the general management of another cosmetics brand: Kiko Milanostarting next May, according to the weekly LSA.
Very popular in the 1980s to 1990s, The Body Shop now seems to have gone out of fashion as competitors have entered the sustainable cosmetics market. These include L’Occitane, Lush and Rituals, not to mention the impact of Covid and inflation on the beautysphere these last years.