Latest news with #AnitaRoddick
The Sun
13-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Iconic British high street chain DEMOLISHES its HQ after shutting 75 shops & being pulled out of administration
A MAJOR British chain has demolished its headquarters over a year after going into administration. The brand also closed 75 locations and cut 800 jobs as part of the process. 3 3 However, now The Body Shop has been saved from administration and is even said to be making a comeback with shoppers. More than half of the brand's Sussex headquarters have been knocked down by contractors. Earlier this year, plans were submitted to the local council to demolish and replace the building. This came after The Body Shop announced in October 2024 that it was relocating its headquarters. The headquarters for the high street brand is now located in the Plus X Innovation Hub near the University of Brighton. saved from administration in September 2024. According to The Argus, two of sculptures were stolen from the site during the demolition. The outlet reported on the alleged theft after resident Body Shop sculptor Giles Penny spoke out about his artwork going missing. He shared his hope that the remaining art at the site can be revitalised and reused for a tribute to The Body Shop founder Anita Roddick. The Body Shop has deep roots in Brighton and Sussex before expanding globally since its first store opened in Kensington Gardens in 1976. Since then the business has undergone a whirlwind few decades before going into administration last year. The announcement shocked fans of the company, which was reportedbto be worth £207 million in 2023. Now back with a bang, the sustainable beauty brand plans to keep all remaining 113 stores open. The Body Shop even cashed in a healthy £2 million in profit during its first three months with Auréa since being saved from administration. As part of the company's new chapter, they have even released a new range of products. Why are retailers closing stores? RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis. High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going. However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector. The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." It comes after almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024. End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker. It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date. This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023. It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns. The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker. Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations. Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes. Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020." It recenelty dropped two exciting limited-edition product collections the cosy, warming Tender Tonka, and the zingy, summery Refreshing Passionfruit. The Tender Tonka range includes frangrances and a body cream. Meanwhile, the Refreshing Passionfruit range features shower gel, body yogurt, body scrub, and body mist. For a full breakdown of The Body Shop's new collection, check out our product round-up.
Scottish Sun
13-06-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Iconic British high street chain DEMOLISHES its HQ after shutting 75 shops & being pulled out of administration
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAJOR British chain has demolished its headquarters over a year after going into administration. The brand also closed 75 locations and cut 800 jobs as part of the process. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 The headquarters of The Body Shop in Sussex is in the process of being demolished Credit: SUSSEX NEWS AND PICTURES 3 The demolition comes after the beauty brand announced it was relocating to the Plus X Innovation Hub Credit: SUSSEX NEWS AND PICTURES However, now The Body Shop has been saved from administration and is even said to be making a comeback with shoppers. More than half of the brand's Sussex headquarters have been knocked down by contractors. Earlier this year, plans were submitted to the local council to demolish and replace the building. This came after The Body Shop announced in October 2024 that it was relocating its headquarters. The headquarters for the high street brand is now located in the Plus X Innovation Hub near the University of Brighton. This news came just weeks after The Body Shop was saved from administration in September 2024. According to The Argus, two of sculptures were stolen from the site during the demolition. The outlet reported on the alleged theft after resident Body Shop sculptor Giles Penny spoke out about his artwork going missing. He shared his hope that the remaining art at the site can be revitalised and reused for a tribute to The Body Shop founder Anita Roddick. The Body Shop has deep roots in Brighton and Sussex before expanding globally since its first store opened in Kensington Gardens in 1976. Tragic Closure: Primark Store Shutdown After Fatal Incident Since then the business has undergone a whirlwind few decades before going into administration last year. The announcement shocked fans of the company, which was reportedbto be worth £207 million in 2023. Now back with a bang, the sustainable beauty brand plans to keep all remaining 113 stores open. The Body Shop even cashed in a healthy £2 million in profit during its first three months with Auréa since being saved from administration. As part of the company's new chapter, they have even released a new range of products. Why are retailers closing stores? RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis. High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going. However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector. The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." It comes after almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024. End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker. It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date. This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023. It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns. The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker. Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations. Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes. Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020." It recenelty dropped two exciting limited-edition product collections the cosy, warming Tender Tonka, and the zingy, summery Refreshing Passionfruit. The Tender Tonka range includes frangrances and a body cream. Meanwhile, the Refreshing Passionfruit range features shower gel, body yogurt, body scrub, and body mist. For a full breakdown of The Body Shop's new collection, check out our product round-up.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Demolition works begin at former Body Shop HQ
Demolition works have begun at the former headquarters of The Body Shop. The ethical beauty brand moved out of its base in Littlehampton last year after decades in the West Sussex town. Works began on Tuesday to demolish the striking building with its green roof in Watersmead Drive, next to the junction known locally as the "Body Shop roundabout". The Body Shop announced in October last year that it was relocating its head offices to Brighton, where founder Dame Anita Roddick opened the brand's first store in 1976. Residents in the town previously told BBC Radio Sussex that they were "shocked" by the decision to relocate. The move comes after the business's UK stores were saved from administration by a consortium led by British cosmetics tycoon Mike Jatania. Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. More on this story
BBC News
07-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
The Body Shop: Demolition work begins on former Littlehampton HQ
Demolition works begin at former Body Shop HQ The former Body Shop offices were home to the beauty brand for decades Work to demolish the former headquarters of The Body Shop in Littlehampton has begun Demolition works have begun at the former headquarters of The Body Shop. The ethical beauty brand moved out of its base in Littlehampton last year after decades in the West Sussex town. Works began on Tuesday to demolish the striking building with its green roof in Watersmead Drive, next to the junction known locally as the "Body Shop roundabout". The Body Shop announced in October last year that it was relocating its head offices to Brighton, where founder Dame Anita Roddick opened the brand's first store in 1976.
Forbes
22-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Green, But Not Golden: Why Beauty's Sustainability Moment Still Isn't Secure
For all its shimmer and shine, the beauty industry still hasn't managed to polish its conscience. Earth Day arrives once more with a familiar mix of ambition and ambiguity. And while the language of sustainability is now fluent across beauty marketing—from refills to recyclables to 'clean'—the industry is yet to move from movement to maturity. The market is talking a greener game. But the execution? Still patchy. Still performative. Still, too often, surface-deep. Let's be clear: the appetite is there. Today's consumers are engaged, informed and deeply motivated by values. They are asking the right questions, even when the answers remain elusive. And yet, green beauty still accounts for a modest slice of the overall market. Why? Because there are still barriers—of price, of education, of optics. Packaging that lacks shelf appeal in a hyper-aesthetic social media age. Products that don't quite live up to their own promise. And, all too often, brands that assume intent alone will close the deal. Many consumers want to do the right thing—but they're tired of feeling tricked by murky labels, or penalised at the checkout for choosing better. We don't need more awareness campaigns. We need more action, and a little less artifice. Before the term 'sustainable' was commercially viable—let alone fashionable—there was Anita Roddick, founding The Body Shop on a platform of ethics, activism and enterprise. Her belief that business should be a force for good wasn't marketing—it was muscle. I was fortunate to see her work up close in the early days of my career. She had an uncanny blend of commercial clarity and deep conviction. She built systems, not slogans. And decades on, her influence endures. Neal's Yard Remedies, founded in 1981 in a modest Covent Garden corner, continues to stand as one of the original green champions. Before algorithms told us to care, they were bottling plant-based remedies, sourcing organic ingredients, and operating with a quiet confidence that still holds today. Their aesthetic may be apothecary, but their supply chain is one of the most forward-thinking in the sector. Some newer brands are not reinventing the green beauty wheel—they're just rolling it forward, with poise and purpose. Take Living Libations—a brand born not in a lab, but in a forest. Founded by Nadine Artemis, its roots lie in botanical intimacy and ingredient reverence. Their cult favourite Best Skin Ever isn't trend-chasing—it's a return to ritual. With formulations that read like poetry and sourcing practices that would impress any sustainability auditor, this is a brand built on quiet brilliance, not buzzwords. Then there's Pott Candles—a brand offering a solution so simple it's genius. Hand-thrown ceramic pots, endlessly refillable with natural wax blends. Beautiful, tactile, low-waste—and more emotionally resonant than another glass jar destined for landfill. Their packaging doesn't shout; it invites. And platforms like Naturisimo have stepped into the gap where trust and curation meet. They do the vetting, so consumers don't have to. Their edit is not only clean—it's considered. Similarly, My Night Show adds a theatrical layer to sustainability: indulgent but intentional, with storytelling that appeals to the emotionally intelligent shopper. The good news? Consumers are ready. The younger generation in particular—steeped in climate anxiety and digital literacy—are embracing refillables, questioning provenance, and rewarding transparency. Brands who layer elegance with ethics are cutting through. Those who create covetable aesthetics and back them with data, integrity and genuine circularity are building loyalty—not just likes. But we're still seeing stumbling blocks: To move from movement to mainstream, green beauty has to become more than seasonal sentiment. It must embed itself into every layer of business—from design to distribution. That means rethinking how beauty is made, marketed, and measured. Design must lead, with sustainable products that earn their place on the shelf and feel at home in a curated, social-first world. Pricing has to shift too—ethical shouldn't mean elite. Sustainability needs to feel normal, not niche. We need clear, simplified labelling that cuts through confusion and empowers consumers at point of sale. No more smoke and mirrors—just data, integrity, and accessible language. And retailers must take more responsibility—not simply chasing conversions but curating with conscience, and elevating brands that combine efficacy with ethics. For consumers, it's about returning to the basics: choosing fewer products, choosing with purpose, and finding satisfaction in simplicity. Real sustainability isn't about sacrifice—it's about smarter decisions, made repeatable. Sustainable beauty must be more than a feeling. It must be a structure—a set of behaviours, practices and decisions embedded deep within the brand, not dressed up for Earth Day. We don't need more products. We need better ones. Designed to last, designed to refill, designed to do their job without demanding the planet pays the price. Because true beauty has always been about more than what we see—it's about what we stand for.
