Remember the days of walking through the mall and browsing deliciously scented lotions and fragrances in The Body Shop? If you live in the United States, those days are over.
The Body Shop was founded back in the UK back in 1976 with the goal of making cruelty-free, sustainable and natural products that are not tested on animals. Since then, the company had traded hands several times. In 2006, L’Oréal bought The Body Shop. Then in 2017, the company was sold to Natura. Then, in late 2023, Aurelius bought The Body Shop.
CNN reports that in 2023 The Body Shop had 2500 store locations throughout 80 different countries. In addition, the store had their products for sale online in 60 different markets.
Now, in 2024, Aurelius has announced some major changes coming to The Body Shop. All U.S. locations are currently closed, but they’re not stopping there. They also plan to cut back on their presence in Canada.
Before selling the company, Natura mentioned that The Body Shop was struggling to stay afloat. In early 2023, Natura explained that in 2022 The Body Shop had a year-over-year decline of 13.5%.
But why is a once successful company no longer successful? According to journalist and beauty brand consultant Louise Whitbread, it’s because the company lost consumer trust when they were bought and sold, starting with the sale to L’Oréal.