Body Shop, a renowned global beauty brand has announced the meticulous shutdown of its entire United States operations amidst a major shift in their business strategy. This will append high-profile market retreat as it joins the growing list of brands taking a difficult but necessary strategic leap intermittently fostered by business survival instincts and the recent strain of the pandemic, such as Covid-19. The beauty conglomerate also revealed further plans to draw curtains on dozens of its retail outlets across the United Kingdom (U.K.) and Canada.
The Body Shop, which prides itself on producing ethically-sourced, cruelty-free products, initially started in the United Kingdom in 1976, before expanding over the years into 3,000 stores across 66 countries. It has successfully built a brand that commands respect and loyalty on the basis of its steadfast commitment to environmental sustainability. The company’s products ranging from skincare, haircare, bath, and body products – all promoted using its long-established ethical stance has been a unique selling point, making this news more momentous.
While the Body Shop has enjoyed a solid customer base in the United States, the decision to shut down its operations in the country is believed to be strategic in the realignment of the company’s direction towards enhanced online operations. With the changing retail environment, especially considering the effect of Covid-19 on physical retail outlets’ performance, the decision can be seen as a business-focused move to ensure the preservation and growth of the company.
Nevertheless, the decision doesn’t come without its repercussions. The transition will possibly affect hundreds of jobs across varying locations and roles within the brand, which could have a significant impact on the local economy. The Body Shop has stated their commitment to support their staff through this difficult period but has not disclosed specific plans as of yet.
The ramification of the decision also stretches beyond the U.S to Canada and the U.K as the beauty brand has announced plans for closing down dozens of outlets in these markets too. Contributing factors to this are speculated to be multiple, ranging from fierce market competition, high costs of store rents, volatile consumer behavior patterns, and most notably, the transformed business environment induced by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Body Shop’s decision to focus more on online sales seems to come at a time when a major part of retail is shifting to digital. This has necessitated the transformation of their business model to better fit the current scenario. Building on the success of their online platforms, the Body Shop looks to enhance customer interaction and engagement through various digital innovations.
As it navigates this challenging yet strategic path forward, The Body Shop remains optimistic. The company has indicated that the closure of physical stores is indeed a strategic move pivoting towards promoting its digital presence, bolstering online sales, and maintaining its unwavering commitment towards environmental sustainability and ethical production practices.
Despite the closures and business restructuring, The Body Shop is intent upon maintaining its core values and purpose: to fight for a fairer, more beautiful world. This sentiment is echoed as the brand continues to work vigorously towards becoming the world’s most ethical and sustainable global business.
