The Body Shop returns to roots with head office back in Brighton
(Image credit: The Body Shop).The Body Shop headquarters returns to Brighton, UK, as part of a “significant cultural reset” under new ownership. It operated there during its 1976 founding by Anita Roddick, starting with a local boutique that later grew to 1,900 stores in 75 countries.
The company’s new headquarters will be situated at the University of Brighton’s Plus X Innovation hub, an “ecosystem of innovative businesses.”
The Body Shop has an office inside the campus, which it will spatially expand to accommodate new hires.
“As we work to rebuild and reimagine the future of our brand, it’s essential we foster an innovative and collaborative culture to make this next stage in the journey possible,” says The Body Shop CEO, Charles Denton.
“Returning to Brighton reinforces the values upon which we were built, it’s a city that celebrates diversity and creativity, oozing irreverence and new ways of thinking stimulated by a vibrant youth culture.”
Downscaling across global restructuring
The Body Shop will consolidate its head operations after running these seperately at two locations in West Sussex and London.
The global bath and cosmetics titan faced financial difficulties in February, leading to the closure of 82 stores and 489 job losses in the UK. However, it was recently rescued by a group of investors headed by cosmetics tycoon, Mike Jatania, ensuring the survival of the remaining stores. Jatania now serves as executive chairman.
In March, The Body Shop’s Canada office announced the closures of approximately a third of its stores and ceased online sales.
According to reports, a court filing showed the company owes more than CAD$3.3 million (US$2.4 million) to unsecured creditors and about CAD$16,400 (US$12,102) to secured creditors.
Natura &Co sold the company to Aurelius for £207 million (US$261 million) late last year. Aurelius paid far less than the £880 million (US$1.1 billion) that Natura &Co gave L’Oréal for the retailer in September 2017. However, Aurelius admitted earlier this year that it could not help boost the company’s bottom line and placed it under administration.
As for the move back to Brighton, local MP Siân Berry says “The Body Shop was founded with values that align very closely with my own and that of our city.”
“With Brighton’s well-known reputation for caring deeply about animal rights and sustainability, The Body Shop returning to their hometown is a great fit.”
