Natural personal care retailer The Body Shop is set to relocate its head office to the city of its first store – Brighton.
Following its rescue, by a consortium led by investment platform Aurea group, The Body Shop’s new head office will in Brighton’s Plus X Innovation hub. The brand described the site as “an eco-system of innovative businesses with a combined mission to drive positive change in the world”.
Currently, operations are managed from two separate locations in West Sussex and London. These will be consolidated during the move to Brighton.
Charles Denton, CEO of The Body Shop, said: “As we work to rebuild and reimagine the future of our brand, it’s essential we foster an innovative and collaborative culture to make this next stage in the journey possible.”
“Returning to Brighton reinforces the values upon which we were built, it’s a city that celebrates diversity and creativity, oozing irreverence and new ways of thinking stimulated by a vibrant youth culture.”
The Body Shop first opened its doors in 1976, with a little green-painted shop in the streets of Brighton. The business has changed ownership several times over the past few years. It was bought by L’Oreal in 2006, before changing hands again in 2017 when the French cosmetics giant sold it to Brazilian cosmetics maker Natura&Co for €1bn.
Last November, Natura sold it to private investor Aurelius Group in a deal valued at £207mn after struggling financially. On 13 February 2024, the UK arm of The Body Shop collapsed into administration. Its administrators quickly announced the closure of almost half of its 198 UK stores. The new owners have pledged to to retain the remaining UK sites.
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