Full list of Body Shop stores closing immediately
The Body Shop is closing seven stores immediately after the retailer plunged into administration.
Nearly half of its 200 stores could close in total, putting more than 2,000 jobs at risk.
The seven stores closing from today are:
Surrey Quays (London)
Oxford Street near Bond Street (London)
Canary Wharf (London)
Cheapside (London)
Nuneaton (Warwickshire)
Ashford Town Centre (Kent)
Bristol Queens Road
Other stores are expected to continue trading until further updates from insolvency experts overseeing the process are completed.
Administrators from FRP Advisory said in a statement: ‘After years of unprofitability and following a full evaluation of The Body Shop’s UK business, the joint administrators have concluded that the current store portfolio mix is no longer viable.
‘This swift action will help re-energise The Body Shop’s iconic brand and provide it with the best platform to achieve its ambition to be a modern, dynamic beauty brand that is able to return to profitability and compete for the long term.’
Earlier this month it was announced the iconic chain had collapsed after years of financial struggles and amid a challenging backdrop for shoppers.
The announcement came just weeks after new owners Aurelius, a European private equity firm, took control of the business.
It took control of operations on New Year’s Day after securing a £207 million deal to buy The Body Shop from Brazilian cosmetics giant Natura & Co.
Administrators FRP says 40% of head office roles will also be cut, amounting to around 270 jobs.
It had previously said it would ‘consider all options to find a way forward’.
The Body Shop employs around 1,500 people across its UK stores and hundreds are expected to face redundancy as part of the closures.
It was founded in 1976 by Anita Roddick and her husband Gordon and was one of the first companies to focus on ethically produced cosmetics and skincare.
In 2004, the company had almost 2,000 stores and served more than 77,000,000 customers worldwide.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.