A fairy tale can turn into a nightmare, just look at The Body Shop. The store chain has not yet completely collapsed into the abyss, but the dismantling of the once flourishing company has begun. In the United Kingdom, half of the 198 branches are closing, it was announced on Tuesday. At the headquarters, 300 people will lose their jobs.
And in our country? Most shops have been closed since the beginning of this week, but there would be a last straw. The German fund Alma24 would take over the Belgian, German, Luxembourg and Austrian activities, reports the trade website Retail Detail. In any case, there will first be a judicial reorganization, the site writes. An online meeting is planned today with the operators of the Belgian branches.
Digital meeting
“Hopefully we will get some more explanation during that digital meeting,” said the spokesperson in the branch in Bruges, which was still open on Monday. “We expect that the curator will come here to close things down soon. Most of us have already looked for other work.”
“We don’t know whether bankruptcy will follow, whether employees will still receive their wages at the end of this month, or whether there will be some kind of restart,” says Louis Salvi of the socialist union.
Fairy tale
However, the story really started as a fairy tale. The Italian-Jewish Anita Perella – her maiden name, she would be known as Anita Roddick – borrowed enough money in 1976 to open a shop in Brighton, British.
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Cruelty-free
Care products are sold: not tested on animals, with reusable packaging and made with ingredients purchased at a fair price from suppliers worldwide. Products that do not live up to their sales pitch will not be accepted. She is a pioneer in the field of sustainability, fair trade and body positivity. Although in the beginning this is sometimes out of necessity. Recycling is necessary because there is no money for disposable bottles.
Roddick’s unique approach works. In seven years, The Green Queen’s shop has grown into a chain with 138 stores that is listed on the stock exchange. Roddick himself is a billionaire. But one with ideals. She fights for human rights, nature conservation, fair trade, animal protection.
American
But then it suddenly goes too fast. The American expansion brought The Body Shop into turbulent waters in 1998 and the shareholders pushed the founder out of daily management. Roddick remains closely involved. When L’Oréal took over the chain for 1 billion in 2006, everyone looked at her. Roddick is accused of selling her soul: the philosophy and approach of the two companies are miles apart. “Like a Trojan horse, I hope to be able to change the company from within,” she soothes the critics. She doesn’t get much time for that. Roddick died in September 2007 after a brain haemorrhage.
The Body Shop will change ownership again in 2017. L’Oréal sells the chain to Brazilian cosmetics giant Natura & Co for 1 billion euros.
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Aurelius
The chain will be sold again in November 2023, this time for barely a quarter of the purchase price. The new owner is the Aurelius Group. Their first feat? The sale of most activities. This further dismantling is now continuing.
2024-02-20 21:34:17
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