How The Body Shop heaps its edge with waning political activism

The Body Shop’s monetary woes which have tipped it into administration within the UK, forcing the upcoming closure of shops and threatening a whole bunch of jobs, observe a gradual declined in religion in its long-standing activist roots.

The agency has lengthy pushed for moral consumerism, utilizing political points equivalent to votes for teenagers, eco-justice and a ban on animal testing to attract in customers and improve its buyer base.

Founded by pioneering businesswoman Dame Anita Roddick and her husband in 1976, the model was rooted in trailblazing as an moral agency by defending animal welfare, selling environmentally-friendly merchandise and sourcing moral supplies.

But with gross sales to L’Oreal in 2006 and Natura in 2017, plus an more and more aggressive marketplace for sustainable and moral manufacturers, The Body Shop has lengthy misplaced its edge as an environmental juggernaut of the excessive avenue. 

As the way forward for its foray onto the political entrance line seems removed from sure following its takeover by Aurelius, The Body Shop’s sustainable roots look more and more muddied.

The Body Shop has confronted growing competitors lately because the sustainable product market turns into more and more crowded.

The firm has lengthy had a Head of Activism particularly to direct its campaigns, a job at the moment held by Alice Mazzola. 

Its journey as an moral model at the beginning has been bumpy since Ms Roddick offered the chain to L’Oreal in 2006 – a choice which angered many loyal clients resulting from its use of animal testing. 

While nonetheless on the head of the corporate, Ms Roddick regularly led political campaigns herself, and was usually pictured protesting in opposition to animal testing alongside a whole bunch of activists.

Beginning with a ‘Save the Whale’ marketing campaign in coordination with Greenpeace in 1986, she pioneered the model’s involvement in pushes to save lots of international rainforests, partnered with Amnesty International to advertise human rights and oversaw a marketing campaign in opposition to home violence in additional than 50 nations.

The sale to L’Oreal, which allowed using components examined on animals, was subsequently seen as a sell-out by loyal clients and a boycott amongst customers led by Naturewatch lasted greater than a decade. 

Ms Roddick died quickly after the sale in 2007, leaving all of her £51million fortune to numerous charities. 

Despite the boycott The Body Shop continued with useful activism, together with elevating consciousness of HIV and AIDs and protesting in London in opposition to the worldwide trafficking of youngsters and younger folks. 

The agency additionally relied on movie star endorsements – in 2013, X Factor winner Leona Lewis joined the model as an envoy and launched a cruelty-free make-up line.

When the model was offered once more in 2017 – this time to Natura – a matter of months later in January 2018, the brand new proprietor declared itself a cruelty-free model. 

In more moderen years The Body Shop has waded deeper into politics, launching a marketing campaign entitled Be Seen Be Heard in August 2022 in cooperation with the UN.

Hilary Lloyd, vice chairman of promoting and company social duty stated on the time The Body Shop recognized as an ‘activist model with a wealthy historical past of combating for what’s proper’.

Its goal was to get younger folks extra concerned with the model by combating to get them concerned in international coverage discussions. This was partly finished by encouraging folks to register to vote in nations such because the UK and US and campaigning for the vote to be prolonged to 16 and 17-year-olds. 

The model has additionally not shied away from talking out on points on social media, and was applauded by many for criticising JK Rowling’s stance on trans rights on Twitter in 2020.

However the transfer additionally alienated a few of its base, with clients even threatening one other boycott on-line in response. It is emblematic of stances which have more and more divided the agency’s buyer base.

On social media, The Body Shop continues to marketing campaign, posting a video simply weeks in the past of its founder and her work – a selection which followers blasted as ‘hypocritical’.

Accompanying the put up was the caption: ‘WE EXIST TO FIGHT FOR A FAIRER, MORE BEAUTIFUL WORLD.

‘This is our objective, and it drives every thing we do. We consider in the great thing about the planet and the nice in folks, however our world wants work. 

‘Nature is struggling at our arms, complete species are turn into extinct in our lifetimes, and our society stays desperately, deeply unfair and unequal. 

‘Our founder, Dame Anita Roddick, constructed The Body Shop to battle for what is sweet, and simply, and delightful. Today, this battle continues to be on the coronary heart of every thing we do.’ 

Administrators yesterday introduced the instant closure of seven shops, and confirmed the cosmetics and skincare chain would in the end shut virtually half of its 198 premises. 

The agency may also reduce round 270 head workplace jobs as a part of a heavy restructuring, leaving it with round 400 staff at its London headquarters.

The group additionally employs round 1,500 staff throughout its UK retailers, with a whole bunch of those staff anticipated to face redundancy because of the proposed closures.

Administrators confirmed the closure of its shops at Surrey Quays London, Oxford Street London, Canary Wharf London, Cheapside London, Nuneaton, Ashford city centre Kent and Queens Road Bristol on Tuesday.

The shops have been shuttered and huge indicators have been fastened to their doorways thanking clients and telling them to buy on-line as an alternative. 

The group’s different shops will proceed to commerce till additional updates from insolvency consultants overseeing the method.

Administrators from FRP Advisory stated in an announcement: ‘After years of unprofitability and following a full analysis of The Body Shop’s UK enterprise, the joint directors have concluded that the present retailer portfolio combine is now not viable.

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

The firm employed directors, who will assess gives for the model and its property, after years of monetary struggles and amid a difficult backdrop for customers.

The dramatic overhaul comes solely weeks after new house owners, European non-public fairness agency Aurelius, took management of the enterprise.

Aurelius, which specialises in shopping for and turning round troubled corporations, secured a £207 million deal in November to purchase The Body Shop from Brazilian cosmetics large Natura & Co.

It solely took management of operations formally on January 1.

Aurelius agreed a deal late final month to promote the corporate’s operations in most of mainland Europe and in elements of Asia to a world household workplace in a ‘decisive step in direction of delivering a powerful turnaround technique’ at The Body Shop.