The Body Shop

The Body Shop is a British cosmetics and personal-care company founded in 1976 by Anita Roddick, who opened her first store in Brighton, England [6]. It built its identity around ethical sourcing and activism, selling skincare, makeup and body-care products through high-street stores and, later, online. Since its founding, ownership has passed through several hands; the British business is currently held by Auréa Group, a consortium led by Mike Jatania, which acquired it in 2024 [6].

The company remains active. After its UK division entered administration in early 2024, it was rescued later that year and has since pursued a market-by-market relaunch [7][8].

According to the company, The Body Shop began when Anita Roddick opened a small green-painted shop in Brighton, driven by the belief that a business can be a force for good — that profit and principles could work together. From the outset the company describes its approach as combining natural ingredients, ethically conscious sourcing and simple, refillable packaging. Roddick, later styled Dame Anita Roddick, is credited as the sole founder.

Activism became central early on. The company traces its campaigning to 1986, when it partnered with Greenpeace on a "Save the Whale" campaign and promoted jojoba oil as an alternative to whale-derived oil in cosmetics. In 1987 it launched its Community Trade programme (later Community Fair Trade), built on trading directly with supplier communities.

Animal-welfare campaigning has been a recurring theme. In June 2017 the company and Cruelty Free International launched Forever Against Animal Testing, which it describes as its largest-ever campaign; a petition of more than eight million signatures was delivered to the United Nations in October 2018. The company received B Corp certification in 2019, and in January 2024 it reported becoming the first global beauty brand to receive 100% vegan certification [6].

Ownership has changed repeatedly. In March 2006 the company agreed to a takeover by L'Oréal; Wikipedia's article body records the price as £652.3 million, while a separate web summary cited £562 million [6]. In 2017 L'Oréal sold the business to the Brazilian cosmetics company Natura for £880 million. In November 2023 Natura sold it to Aurelius, a German private-equity group, for £207 million [6].

Under Aurelius the business faltered. On 15 February 2024 the UK division was placed into administration, with FRP Advisory appointed as administrators. The British business was then acquired by Auréa Group, a consortium led by retail investor Mike Jatania, with Charles Denton — a former Molton Brown chief executive — leading the management team [7]. Wikipedia dates the acquisition to 7 September 2024, whereas a YouGov analysis refers to July 2024; the difference may reflect announcement versus completion [6][8].

The company frames its purpose broadly. Its stated mission is "to fight for a fairer and more beautiful world," and it lists values including business as a force for good, opposition to animal testing, Community Fair Trade sourcing, women's equality and body acceptance [3]. It also describes beauty in terms of self-acceptance rather than conformity — what a person likes about themselves and what makes them feel good.

The Body Shop sells skincare, makeup and body-care products. Much of its positioning centres on packaging and sourcing. The company says it is moving its body, bath and hair-care packaging toward being fully recyclable, and that it buys recycled plastic from waste pickers in India through its Community Fair Trade programme, offering what it describes as fairer prices and more stable incomes. It also states that its products are not tested on animals and are certified cruelty-free under Cruelty Free International's Leaping Bunny programme [6].

The 2024 administration was the company's most visible recent difficulty. Shortly after Aurelius took over in late 2023, the UK division was placed into administration in February 2024; 197 stores were closed during restructuring, and the US operation filed for bankruptcy before the British business was rescued by Auréa Group in September 2024 [6][7].

The company is active and restructuring. Under Auréa Group ownership it has described a "market by market, product by product" comeback, retaining 113 UK stores and operating 72 shops across Spain and Portugal, with a US relaunch reported for 2025 [7]. A YouGov BrandIndex analysis published in May 2025 found that consumer perception, which fell after the administration filing, had begun to recover [8].