The Body Shop is a British cosmetics and skincare retailer known for natural and ethically-sourced beauty products.
The Body Shop International Limited is the British natural cosmetics and personal care retailer headquartered in London, England, operating under Auréa Group, the British private investment vehicle led by entrepreneur Mike Jatania that acquired the brand out of administration in May 2024. The acquisition followed a period of rapid ownership transitions and a February 2024 administration filing that closed a significant number of stores globally before the Auréa-led stabilization.
Founded in 1976 in Brighton, England by Dame Anita Roddick, The Body Shop pioneered the ethical-and-natural-ingredients positioning in mainstream personal care, establishing the Community Trade ingredient-sourcing program in 1987 to build direct trading relationships with marginalized communities globally. The ownership history spans the original Roddick family era, the 2006 acquisition by L’Oréal for £652 million, the 2017 sale to Brazilian beauty group Natura for approximately €1 billion, and the November 2023 sale to German private equity firm Aurelius Group for £207 million before the February 2024 administration filing and the subsequent May 2024 rescue by Auréa Group. Under Auréa’s ownership, the brand has undergone significant restructuring including a rationalization of the global store network and the resumption of franchise partnerships in stable international markets. The brand suspended Russian operations in 2022. Annual revenue under the Auréa Group ownership is estimated in the £300 to £500 million range, substantially below the brand’s historical peak, reflecting the reduced store count following the administration period.
The Body Shop operates a significantly restructured store network across the United Kingdom and international franchise markets, with the precise global footprint subject to ongoing rationalization under the Auréa Group ownership. The strongest remaining presence is in the United Kingdom, Western Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and select franchise markets where the brand retained operational continuity through the administration period. The typical store occupies 60 to 150 square meters, with formats emphasizing the brand’s natural-ingredients storytelling and personal-care category merchandising. For mall operators, The Body Shop is a Class A and Class B+ specialty personal-care tenant in markets where the brand’s franchise and directly operated network remains active, typically positioned alongside Lush, L’Occitane, and similar premium specialty beauty brands. The Auréa Group ownership period focuses on stabilization and selective network rebuilding rather than aggressive expansion.
