What happened to the Body Shop?
Welcome to Wednesday’s Early Edition from i.
Its drawcard wasn’t just scents, but sense. For teens of the 80s and 90s, the Body Shop’s White Musk and Dewberry oils, its mango body butter, fruit-flavoured lip balms and peppermint foot lotion were revolutionary. And for those sniffing the fragrant tester pots, there was something else alluring about the brand. Its founder’s pioneering stance on ethical trade, the environment, animal rights and feminism made it truly iconic. On its website, the Body Shop describes Dame Anita Roddick as a “radical woman”. She believed strongly that one person could make a difference to society, famously saying: “If you think you are too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito.” Ms Roddick put the brand’s name to a range of social justice and environmental causes, notably in 1986 when the Body Shop joined forces with Greenpeace for its Save the Whale campaign. And it worked – the store quickly grew from its humble beginnings to become a global phenomenon. But controversy hit in 2006, when it was bought by cosmetics company L’Oreal. Now it has made headlines again, this time by entering administration and putting thousands of jobs at risk. What went wrong? We’ll take a look after the headlines.
Today’s news, and why it matters
Sir Keir Starmer is facing a growing crisis over his party’s stance on Gaza after a second Labour candidate was suspended after being accused of anti-Israel comments. Graham Jones, the former MP for Hyndburn who is seeking re-election in the seat, was recorded saying “f**king Israel” repeatedly, according to the political news website Guido Fawkes.
A double dose of economic bad news this week could worsen Britain’s slowdown in the run-up to the general election, the Government fears. Figures published on Wednesday are expected to show an uptick in the rate of inflation for the second month in a row.
Major sewage leaks in the Chilterns have resulted in a rare chalk stream becoming so polluted that drinking water can no longer be extracted from to supply the area, i has learned. Thames Water has been discharging sewage into the River Misbourne, a 16-mile chalk stream that flows through a number of villages in Buckinghamshire, since 3 January as its sewers have struggled to cope with heavy rainfall.
Home Office officials warned ministers of “critical” media coverage if asylum seekers were housed in temporary accommodation of a “high standard”, i can reveal. Internal documents from February 2023 reveal the official guidance drawn up in Whitehall over the Government’s plan to house asylum seekers in ex-military bases.
The Prime Minister has claimed that Labour’s policy to charge VAT on private school fees is “attacking” middle-income families. But are his claims accurate? Read our fact check.
Three questions on the Body Shop:
What happened to the business? Anita Roddick opened the first Body Shop store in 1976, selling just 25 products. Customers were encouraged to bring their old containers back for refills – not just to help the environment but because the store didn’t have enough bottles. The products it sold were inspired by her travels, such as Brazil Nut conditioner – but also by ethical trade, developing a community fair trade programme. In 1984 the store the group floated on the London Stock Exchange for £80m. Two decades later there were hundreds of products, and thousands of stores worldwide. But it gathered criticism in 2006 when Ms Roddick sold the business to cosmetics giant L’Oreal for £652m – a company that had been accused of testing ingredients on animals in some countries. When faced with accusations of hypocrisy, Ms Roddick said: “I’m not an apologist for them, I’m just excited that I can be like a trojan horse and go into that huge business and talk about how we can buy ingredients like cocoa butter from Ghana and sesame oil from Nicaraguan farmers and how we can do that in a kindly, joyful way and that is happening.” But one year later, she died after a brain haemorrhage, and any potential influence from her was lost. Under L’Oreal’s ownership, the original business model changed, with production moving to the Philippines. In 2017, L’Oréal sold The Body Shop to Brazilian cosmetics company Natura in a deal worth £880m. In November 2023, after six years of owning the company, Natura sold The Body Shop to Aurelius following a drop in sales.
Why didn’t the brand evolve? Experts say the brand failed to keep pace with an environment in which many of The Body Shop’s competitors also advertise their brands as being sustainable and ethical. Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “In the 80s, the Body Shop was the place to go for young shoppers to splash out on fresh scented bubbles and beauty ranges, with a deep environmental conscience and a focus on social justice and conserving nature.” But that ethos has not been enough to sustain it in the present day.
Diane Wehrle, retail expert and chief executive at Rendle Intelligence and Insights, told the BBC: “I think what’s happened over the past 20 years is a huge number of entrants have come into that sustainability, natural space that The Body Shop once solely occupied.” She continued: “The Body Shop itself hasn’t really evolved its concepts but all its competitors have come up behind it and not only have the advantage of sustainability but some also have really beautiful branding. The Body Shop hasn’t actually deteriorated but it hasn’t moved.”
Richard Taylor, founder of Brandon consultants, wrote in The Drum: “Its brand owners were too reliant on the brand’s original purpose and emphasis on corporate and social responsibility. It was once a pioneer, yes. But today, being socially and environmentally friendly are mere table stakes to the game.” He suggests the brand “needs to rediscover what made it great in the first place. Roddick imbued The Body Shop with a Brighton hippie, free-love spirit. Why not reclaim that force of nature? What does that free spirit look like in 2024?” By contrast, high street rival Lush recorded strong growth in recent years on the back of strong ethical credentials and vibrant products.
What will happen to its shops and staff? Administrators FRP Advisory were hired on Tuesday to oversee the company’s collapse into administration. They will assess offers for different parts of the company in order to find the best options to save jobs and shops, but will particularly focus on ensuring as much money is recouped as possible to return to creditors. In a statement it said: “Taking this approach provides the stability, flexibility, and security to find the best means of securing the future of The Body Shop and revitalising this iconic British brand. The joint administrators will now consider all options to find a way forward for the business and will update creditors and employees in due course.”
Jeremy Whiteson, restructuring and insolvency partner at Fladgate, said: “It is hoped that a solution can be found which safeguards the jobs of staff. However, it seems likely that many buyers will simply be interested in the brand and stock, shifting the business to an online operation or to be integrated into a multi-brand retailer.” It is understood the Body Shop employs thousands of people across its UK store portfolio and London headquarters. Analysts say some shops could potentially be closed to save money on rising rents on high streets, which could threaten more than 2,000 jobs across the UK. Again, it is not yet known if the brand will disappear from the high street completely, and experts predict the store will continue to have a presence online. Read more here.
Around the world
The US House has voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, accusing him of not enforcing immigration laws which Republicans say has led to record numbers of migrants flowing across the US-Mexico border. It is only the second time in US history, and the first time in almost 150 years, that the House has impeached a member of a president’s cabinet.
Israel’s expected offensive in Rafah is likely to become a massacre, an expert has told i, accusing the West of not using its leverage to force a ceasefire in Gaza. Joe Biden, called for a six-week ceasefire in Gaza and warned Israel that it needs a “credible” plan to protect Palestinian civilians sheltering in Rafah from another onslaught.
An elderly man has died from Alaskapox, the first known fatality from the recently discovered virus, Alaskan state health officials have said. Alaskapox, also known as AKPV, is related to smallpox, cowpox and mpox, health officials said.
Melting Arctic sea ice means some polar bears face starvation because they are unable to adapt their diets to living on land, scientists have found. The bears normally feed on ringed seals that they catch on ice floes offshore, but now many bears are spending greater amounts of time on shore, eating bird’s eggs, berries and grass.
A Canadian father said he is “disgusted” after alleging his children’s art teacher took their drawings and sold them online after advertising them as “creepy portraits”. An investigation is under way over claims that a teacher at Westwood Junior High School in Saint-Lazare, an off-island suburb of Montreal, has been profiting from students’ work.
Watch out for…
The launch of a robotic moon lander built by a company called Intuitive Machines from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. If successful, the flight would become the first controlled descent to the lunar surface by a US spacecraft since 1972, and the first by a private company.
Thoughts for the day
Keir Starmer has not fixed Labour – and time is running out. The party has made a thorough mess of Rochdale, argues Isabel Hardman.
Steve Wright spoke to every listener like they were his friend. What a friend they have lost. Steve Wright was one of the most beloved broadcasters of his time, says Nick Duerden.
Romcoms like One Day have utterly ruined my love life. Emotional turmoil makes for excellent TV and film -and dire real-life relationships, writes Olivia Petter.
Culture Break
‘It took years to get rid of the shame of my drinking’. Lou Sanders talks about the after-effects of getting sober, calling out Russell Brand on stage, and her sincere belief in the power of witchcraft.
The Big Read
How Saudi Arabia wants to become an algae super-power using Red Sea microbes. Critics argue such schemes – from the world’s biggest fossil fuels exporter – amount to “greenwashing” in the face of its ties to big oil, reports Cahal Milmo.
Sport
Wales refuse to change red shirts for colour blind fans against Ireland. Colour-blindness campaigners have criticised the Welsh Rugby Union over their refusal to change kits for the Six Nations clash with Ireland.
Something to brighten your day
From cheese to sardines, the six foods men should eat to boost their sex lives. Forget chocolates and champagne – research shows our diet can have a powerful effect on sexual function.
