Loyal Body Shop clients devastated by administration blow
- Do YOU work at The Body Shop? Email jon.brady@mailonline.co.uk
Devastated loyal clients of the Body Shop have expressed their disappointment after it collapsed into administration, fearing they might not have the ability to get their palms on the distinctive merchandise they have been shopping for for many years.
The High Street stalwart yesterday entered administration with jobs in danger throughout the model’s 200-plus UK shops. The beloved chain at present employs 10,000 individuals throughout 3,000 shops it operates in additional than 70 nations all over the world – with an extra 12,000 employees working in franchises.
FRP Advisory has been introduced in to deal with the insolvency course of simply weeks after a brand new proprietor took management having vowed to ‘re-energise the enterprise’. The administration at present solely impacts UK employees and shops.
In an announcement, it mentioned ‘directors will now think about all choices to discover a method ahead for the enterprise and can replace collectors and staff in the end’.
The enterprise will proceed to commerce each in-store and on-line whereas plans are made for the way forward for the beloved excessive avenue model.
It comes as the newest blow for a struggling excessive avenue, which lately skilled the lack of different main chains together with M&Co, Paperchase and Wilko.
Ian Knight and daughter Isla, 15, pictured exterior the Bournemouth department of The Body Shop
Nigel Scott, 55, (pictured) who works in insurance coverage, mentioned he had been buying on the Body Shop for 30 years
Devestated loyal clients of the Body Shop have right now expressed their disappointment on the beloved cosmetics firm going into administration
The Body Shop was famend for its ethically sourced magnificence merchandise, from bathe gels and cleaning butters via to charcoal face masks
The retailer is famed for its signature White Musk eau de toilette (left) – which has survived a number of rebrands and continues to be a prime vendor (proper)
Ian Knight, 55, a enterprise proprietor out buying along with his two daughters, mentioned: ‘It is an actual disgrace. Most of the excessive avenue is struggling by way of footfall.
‘The price of residing disaster is biting exhausting and individuals are being extra cautious about how they spend their cash.
‘It simply appears like Amazon is getting stronger and stronger and that makes it so exhausting for the likes of The Body Shop.’
Created in 1976, founder Dame Anita Roddick went from promoting merchandise in urine pattern bottles to save cash to changing into a multi-millionaire with a beauty empire in a matter of years.
The model, recognized for its humanitarian focus, was the excessive avenue go-to for magnificence merchandise lengthy earlier than celeb fragrance ranges and wonder web sites took over.
Teacher Lily Taylor, 31, mentioned she had been going to the Body Shop since she was a toddler, whereas her mom did Body Shop events.
They have merchandise that are suitable along with her allergic reactions and she or he was undecided the place to buy now.
She mentioned: ‘I at all times purchase their merchandise so I do not know what I’m going to do now. I’ve lots of allergic reactions so I discover their stuff is healthier for my pores and skin.
‘I feel lots of outlets are going via the identical factor however it’s nonetheless a shock to see them in administration.
‘My mom used to do Body Shop events so I do not need to have to interrupt the information to her. Everyone going surfing is having a huge effect on the excessive avenue.’
Nigel Scott, 55, who works in insurance coverage, mentioned he had been buying on the Body Shop for 30 years and his son and daughter gave him an additional lengthy buying listing after they heard about its unsure future.
He mentioned: ‘It’s unhappy. I’ve been coming right here for 30 years. They have been via many palms and perhaps the moral stuff they stood for misplaced its shine.’
Anita Roddick launched The Body Shop in 1976 to supply for her two kids. In a matter of years, it shortly turned one of many largest names in skincare. She is pictured exterior certainly one of her first shops in October 1985
In 2012, British actress and mannequin Lily Cole (pictured) turned the model’s first international ambassador
The Body Shop, the close to 50-year-old cosmetics firm famend for its moral hair and pores and skin merchandise, is struggling financially within the UK
The Body Shop followers have been left ‘heartbroken’ following the information of the model’s potential insolvency and name for a reintroduction of their retro merchandise, together with fragrance oil (pictured)
Patricia Kierzek, 40, from Poland lives in Croydon and is devastated to lose the physique cream that she makes use of day by day.
She mentioned: ‘I used to make use of lots of the Body Shop stuff. I’ve been utilizing their physique cream for greater than 5 years. It leaves your pores and skin so moisturised.
‘I have not discovered something that I like greater than the Body Shop so I’m fairly unhappy that they’re closing.
‘I heard the information and got here right here to see if there was a sale or something. I have not been for ages as a result of I purchase my stuff in bulk.
‘I’m not too shocked as the previous couple of occasions I’ve been right here it’s fairly quiet in there.’
Patricia says that though she does usually store on-line it will likely be a disgrace to not have the expertise of wandering the shop once more.
Sherlen Lindsey, 45, who lives in Croydon, says he can be unhappy to see the store go because it was gift-giving heaven.
He mentioned: ‘They do nice present units and as a husband it is a lifesaver. I at all times say that The Body Shop is the store for husbands.
‘It is simply really easy to get one thing in there to your spouse at birthdays and Christmas.
‘It’s simple to flee and shortly seize one thing from right here. This is devastating for husbands.’
Teacher Lily Taylor (pictured) mentioned she had been going to the Body Shop since she was a toddler, whereas her mom did Body Shop events
In 2012, British actress and mannequin Lily Cole (pictured) turned the model’s first international ambassador
Another shopper, 82-year-old grandmother Rose, says this downside is changing into all too acquainted.
She added: ‘Plenty of outlets are shutting down as a result of most individuals do not have the cash to purchase something anymore.
‘It is the price of residing disaster which is inflicting this. People cant afford to buy.’
A spokesperson for The Body Shop mentioned: ‘The Body Shop has confronted an prolonged interval of economic challenges beneath previous house owners, coinciding with a tough buying and selling surroundings for the broader retail sector.
‘Having taken swift motion within the final month, together with closing down The Body Shop At Home and promoting its enterprise throughout most of Europe and in components of Asia, specializing in the UK enterprise is the following vital step in The Body Shop’s restructuring.
‘Today, the Directors of The Body Shop International Limited have appointed Tony Wright, Geoff Rowley, and Alastair Massey of enterprise advisory agency FRP as Joint Administrators of the corporate, which operates The Body Shop’s UK enterprise.
‘Taking this method offers the steadiness, flexibility and safety to seek out the most effective technique of securing the way forward for The Body Shop and revitalizing this iconic British model.’
‘The Joint Administrators will now think about all choices to discover a method ahead for the enterprise and can replace collectors and staff in the end.’
They added: ‘The Body Shop stays guided by its ambition to be a contemporary, dynamic magnificence model, related to clients and in a position to compete for the long run.
‘Creating a extra nimble and financially steady UK enterprise, is a vital step in attaining this.
‘The Joint Administrators will proceed to commerce the enterprise in administration, guaranteeing clients will have the ability to proceed to buy in retailer and on-line for his or her favorite merchandise.’
Anita Roddick: High Street pioneer who constructed £51m fortune then gave all of it away earlier than she died
Founder Dame Anita Roddick pictured in 1984
Founded in 1976, The Body Shop was one of many first cosmetics corporations to ban the usage of components examined on animals and to advertise honest commerce with growing nations.
This was largely to its founder, Dame Anita Roddick, who was a human rights activist and environmental campaigner.
She was an avid campaigner for environmental and social points, together with involvement with Greenpeace and The Big Issue.
In 1990, she based a charity referred to as Children on the Edge, which helped deprived kids in Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia.
She based The Body store to earn an revenue for her and her two daughters whereas her husband was away in South America. Upon her husband’s return, he joined the enterprise.
By 2004, The Body Shop has 1980 shops, greater than 77 million clients and was voted the second most-trusted model within the UK – advert the twenty eighth prime model on this planet.
But that very same 12 months, Roddick was recognized with liver cirrhosis attributable to hepatitis C. She did not reveal this till 2007.
She was an avid campaigner for environmental and social points, together with involvement with Greenpeace and The Big Issue
She introduced it by saying: ‘I’ve hepatitis C. It’s a little bit of a bummer, however you groan and transfer on.’
Subsequently she promoted the work of the Hepatitis C Trust and raised consciousness for the illness.
Roddick was mentioned to imagine she turned contaminated with Hepatitis following a blood transfusion after the beginning of her youthful daughter. This was twenty years earlier than the UK screened blood donors for the illness.
She tragically died of an acute mind haemorrhage in September 2007. Earlier, she had sworn to go away her fortune to charities reasonably than her households and pals – a promise she remained true to.
The businesswoman was at all times adamant she had no intention of ‘dying wealthy’ and her Will revealed she had given away her whole £15million fortune to charity earlier than she died.
When she died, the gross worth of her property was £665,747 which was swallowed up by inheritance tax, leaving her web price at nil.
She had beforehand described leaving cash to your loved ones as ‘obscene’ and reduce her daughters Sam and Justine out of her will in 2005, which Sam referred to as a ‘reduction’.
