The Body Shop’s collapse in 2024 resulted from a combination of long-term strategic stagnation, intense competition, and a severe, sudden cash crisis under new ownership. Despite its pioneering reputation for ethical, cruelty-free beauty, the retailer failed to innovate, lost market share to rivals like Lush, and was hampered by poor sales and unsustainable debt.
Those customers who grew up with The Body Shop “no longer see its values as distinctive” and once innovative products “have now become commonplace,” he says. Successive ownership and leadership changes also played a role. The Body Shop has had three different owners since Roddick sold to L'Oréal.
According to the BBC, the brand — which alternative investment firm Aurelius Group bought in November 2023 — saw disappointing Christmas sales and had insufficient working capital to meet its day-to-day expenses. But where did it all go wrong for The Body Shop, once considered the high street's darling?
So what was behind The Body Shop boycott and how ethical is the company now? Hundreds of consumers declared a boycott of The Body Shop in 2006, after its owner sold the cruelty-free brand to cosmetics giant L'Oreal – which was well-known for testing on animals.
Is The Body Shop on the boycott list for Palestine?
On the contrary, The Body Shop stands out as an ethical brand, recognised as a B-Corp, actively campaigning against animal testing, and leading an impressive Community Trade program. That said, while The Body Shop isn't a brand to boycott, some vegan and 'ethical' brands do have ties to Israel.
A Brand Built On Lies - The Body Shop’s Shameful Decline Into Irrelevancy - Behind The Beauty
Which brands should I boycott for Palestine?
1) Boycott Israeli produce like avocados, oranges, herbs and dates. 2) Boycott Coca-Cola and its brands Schweppes, Sprite, Fanta, Innocent, Appletiser, Smart Water and Costa Coffee. Israeli fresh produce, like avocados, oranges, herbs and dates, is grown in illegal Israeli settlements on stolen Palestinian land.
Nationwide, the Body Shop has almost 200 stores and whilst 116 are staying open, the rest are closing down. On February 20, 2024, seven stores were closed nationwide and more closed four to six weeks later. In total 82 stores have been closed.
The Body Shop is currently owned by Auréa Group, a specialist beauty and wellness investment firm led by Mike Jatania, which acquired the brand in a rescue deal in late 2024 after its previous owner, Aurelius, placed it into administration in early 2024. Auréa stepped in to save the business, gaining control of its assets in the UK, Australia, and North America, with the goal of revitalizing the ethical beauty retailer.
The Body Shop is making its return to the United States in October 2025, after closing all doors in the market last year. The relaunch will see the British beauty business launch a dedicated online store and a digital storefront on Amazon. Full story via the link in bio 🔗
The persistent weak performance of the Sussex-based beauty retailer, which is known for its natural and fair-trade ingredients, led L'Oreal to this decision. The Body Shop was once a brand known for its socially conscious products.
Roddick died of a massive stroke at about 6:30pm on 10 September 2007, after being admitted to St Richard's Hospital, Chichester the previous evening suffering from a severe headache. As promised earlier, she left her estate to charities rather than to her family and friends.
The Body Shop shuttered its US operations after filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in March 2024, as it grappled with financial difficulties across its portfolio.
The Rule of 7 asserts that a potential customer should encounter a brand's marketing messages at least seven times before making a purchase decision. When it comes to engagement for your marketing campaign, this principle emphasizes the importance of repeated exposure for enhancing recognition and improving retention.
How much did Jamie Kern Lima sell it's cosmetics for?
She co-founded IT Cosmetics, which she sold to L'Oréal for $1.2 billion, in 2016, becoming the first female chief executive officer of a L'Oréal brand. Kern Lima has been included on the Forbes' list of "America's Richest Self-Made Women," since 2017.
The Body Shop today agreed to a £652.3m takeover by the French cosmetics firm L'Oréal. The British cosmetics retailer, which was started by Anita Roddick in Brighton in 1976 to help support her two daughters, accepted an offer of 300p a share, a large premium on its closing price of 268p.
Bath & Body Works' quarterly results and lowered guidance aren't living up to the company's expectations. “The brand is not fulfilling its potential,” Heaf said. The company's third quarter delivered net sales of $1.6 billion, down 1% year over year. Net income decreased more than 27% to $77 million.
Updated 7 months ago. Yes, our make-up range has been officially discontinued and is no longer available to purchase online. However, some of our stores may still have limited stock available.
It is understood that Aurelius, the private equity firm that bought The Body Shop for £207m in November, made the move after poor sales during the all-important Christmas shopping season seeped into January. It is also believed that The Body Shop's working capital was not as healthy as initially thought.
Beauty brands showing support for Palestine often include Palestinian founders or actively donate to relief efforts, with prominent examples being Huda Beauty, SimiHaze Beauty, and indie brands like Topicals, while others like Lush launch solidarity campaigns, but many larger corporations have complex ties, so checking individual brand stances is key for conscious consumers.
