The Body Shop to close half its stores, with several to shut immediately

The Body Shop, a renowned retailer specialising in ethically sourced beauty and skincare products, has revealed plans to shut half of its UK stores, with seven closures happening today.

This move comes in the wake of the company’s entry into administration last week, a decision that has put over 2,000 jobs and 200 outlets spread across the UK in jeopardy.

As part of the announced closures, seven stores shut their doors today, with locations including Nuneaton, Ashford Town Centre, and Bristol Queens Road, along with outlets in Surrey Quays, Oxford Street Bond Street, and Canary Wharf, all in London.

Despite these closures, more than half of the remaining 198 outlets are expected to remain operational.

However, the restructuring plan also includes the substantial reduction in head office roles, with 40% of positions set to be eliminated, translating to roughly 300 job losses, bringing the total number of full-time employees at the head office down to 400.

As part of the restructuring, The Body Shop has also made the decision to discontinue its ambassador program, where individuals sell products on commission.

It has been reported that the restructuring efforts are not expected to impact The Body Shop’s global franchise partners.

No specific timeline for further layoffs or store closures has been provided.