The Body Shop has been through a challenging year-plus since it entered administration (the UK’s version of bankruptcy) in February 2024 and closed all its U.S. brick-and-mortar stores in March 2024. Now the brand — which still has strong name recognition among Gen X and millennials — is returning to the U.S. market via Amazon and a U.S. website, according to WWD.
“We’ve stabilized operations, streamlined our focus and reenergized our teams around what makes this brand truly special: our commitment to ethical, high-quality products and positive impact,” The Body Shop CEO Mike Jatania told WWD.
The retailer’s focus will remain on digital for the present, although Jatania said The Body Shop was “strategically considering our options for broader U.S. distribution. Our approach will be guided by sustainable, profitable growth opportunities and shaped by the needs and habits of our customers.”
Jatania is Co-founder of the private equity firm Auréa Group, and he led the consortium that purchased The Body Shop’s 113 UK stores in September 2024 in a deal that also gave the acquiring group control of the retailer’s Australian and North American assets. Private equity firm Aurelius had purchased The Body Shop from Natura for $257.8 million in November 2023 but does not list it as one of its investments today.
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