It’s a tough existence for beauty brands at the moment – with the digital world evolving at breakneck speed, customers tastes and preferences are ever-changing and brand loyalty is a thing of the past. Even big household names aren’t safe. Take The Body Shop and its bestsellers including its Peppermint Foot Cream and Mango Body Scrub, both of which have been firm favourites since my early teens. I recently received said products together with a cryptically worded press release that started: “As you can imagine, we’ve been in reflection mode here at The Body Shop” and which went on to describe these products as embodying “the spirit of hope and nostalgia”. As someone who bought my first beauty products aged 11 in The Body Shop (clear mascara and mandarin lip gloss), it’s probably one of the saddest press mailers I’ve ever received and a reminder that few things last for ever.
Back in February, The Body Shop collapsed into administration in the UK less than three months after it was taken over by a private equity company, resulting in a closure of 82 stores. It has been expected to survive in some form, but with far fewer shops. UK retailer Next has expressed interest in a rescue bid.
I know it’s important to move with the times, but it would be a real shame if The Body Shop was to vanish. It was the first to shout about sustainability long before it became a marketing buzzword, used fairly traded natural ingredients and opposed animal testing – all of which have now become industry standard.
And that’s all thanks to its founder, the late Anita Roddick. Born in 1942 in Littlehampton, West Sussex to Italian-Jewish parents, Roddick’s journey from humble upbringing to global business icon is a testament to her pioneering spirit and unrelenting chutzpah.
