Body Shop closes seven shops within the UK

Body Shop has introduced the closure of seven of its shops within the UK at present simply days after the corporate unveiled plans to nominate directors.

The excessive road chain will shut 4 London shops in Surrey Quays, Oxford Street Bond Street, Canary Wharf and Cheapside in addition to outlets in Nuneaton in Warwickshire, Ashford Town Centre in Kent and Queens Road in Bristol. 

Body Shop stated the closures are a part of the corporate’s ‘restructuring plan’ to ‘safe’ the way forward for the enterprise. 

The transfer comes after the joint directors Tony Wright, Geoff Rowley, and Alastair Massey ‘concluded that the present retailer portfolio combine is now not viable’. 

Additional closures are anticipated to comply with, with greater than half of The Body Shop’s 198 UK shops set to stay open after the ‘restructuring’ course of, the corporate added.

Body Shop has introduced the closure of seven of its shops within the UK at present

The Body Shop was offered to L’Oreal for £675million by founder Dame Anita Roddick in 2006

The Body Shop was famend for its ethically sourced magnificence merchandise, from bathe gels and cleaning butters by way of to charcoal face masks

It can also be 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)

Body Shop stated in a press release: ‘A lowered retailer footprint, will coincide with a renewed deal with the model’s merchandise, on-line gross sales channels and wholesale methods, bringing the model in keeping with business friends and supporting a return to monetary stability.

‘Following the sooner sale of loss-making companies in a lot of mainland Europe and components of Asia, and to assist a simplified enterprise, The Body Shop may even restructure roles in its Head Office to align with this forward-looking technique and extra nimble, financially viable mannequin. 

‘The Head Office headcount is anticipated to scale back by roughly 40%, to a future headcount of over 400 full time workers. The Joint Administrators have additionally determined The Body Shop Ambassador programme will shut.

‘Stabilising and strengthening the central core may even assist The Body Shop’s worldwide technique, with Global Head Franchise Partners and wholesale companions in Asia, Middle East and Europe a cornerstone of future success.

‘This swift motion will assist re-energise The Body Shop’s iconic model and supply it with one of the best platform to realize its ambition to be a contemporary, dynamic magnificence model that is ready to return to profitability and compete for the long run.’

The Body Shop entered administration final week 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 around the globe – with an extra 12,000 workers 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 workers and shops.

In a press release, it stated ‘directors will now contemplate all choices to discover a manner ahead for the enterprise and can replace collectors and workers sooner or later’.

The enterprise will proceed to commerce each in-store and on-line whereas plans are made for the way forward for the beloved excessive road model.

Ian Knight, 55, a enterprise proprietor out buying together with his two daughters, stated: ‘It is an actual disgrace. Most of the excessive road is struggling by way of footfall.

‘The value of residing disaster is biting laborious and individuals are being extra cautious about how they spend their cash.

‘It simply seems like Amazon is getting stronger and stronger and that makes it so laborious 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 turning into a multi-millionaire with a beauty empire in a matter of years.

The model, recognized for its humanitarian focus, was the excessive road go-to for magnificence merchandise lengthy earlier than superstar fragrance ranges and sweetness web sites took over.

Teacher Lily Taylor, 31, stated she had been going to the Body Shop since she was a baby, whereas her mom did Body Shop events.

They have merchandise that are appropriate together with her allergy symptoms and he or she was unsure the place to buy now.

She stated: ‘I at all times purchase their merchandise so I do not know what I’m going to do now. I’ve quite a lot of allergy symptoms so I discover their stuff is healthier for my pores and skin.

‘I feel quite a lot of outlets are going by way of 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 big impact on the excessive road.’

Nigel Scott, 55, who works in insurance coverage, stated he had been buying on the Body Shop for 30 years and his son and daughter gave him an additional lengthy buying record once they heard about its unsure future.

He stated: ‘It’s unhappy. I’ve been coming right here for 30 years. They have been by way of many palms and possibly the moral stuff they stood for misplaced its shine.’