More Body Shop closures soon but over half the chain to be saved

FRP, the administrator for The Body Shop, has released a full list of the stores that will close and said that after the first seven were shut almost immediately, a further 75 stores will now close in a phased process over the next four-to-six weeks, with 489 jobs lost.

That’s sad news for the staff who work there, some of whom having been with the business for decades. But at least more than half of the stores will survive, with 116 of the shops continuing to operate.

Those closing include some major sites such as the still-relatively-new Battersea Store, London’s Regent Street (Oxford Street around the corner having already been shuttered), as well as two in Edinburgh including the Princess Mall, four in Glasgow including Braehead and Silverburn, Leeds White Rose, Peterborough Queensgate, Croydon, Hull, Lewisham, Swansea and Wolverhampton, along others.

So which stores are safe for now? The stores getting a reprieve include Bluewater, Belfast Victoria Square, two in Birmingham (New St and Bullring), Cabot Circus, St David’s, Clarks Village Outlet, Cribbs Causeway, Edinburgh St James, Gunwharf Quays, Outlet Shopping at the O2, Liverpool One, London Bridge, Meadowhall, and the two London Westfields.

Joint Administrators Tony Wright, Geoff Rowley, and Alastair Massey have said “a reduced store footprint will coincide with a renewed focus on the brand’s products, online sales channels and wholesale strategies, bringing the brand in line with industry peers and supporting a return to financial stability”.

And on Thursday, Wright added: “In taking swift action to right-size The Body Shop UK store portfolio, we have stabilised the business and are providing the best opportunity for this iconic brand to have a long-term, sustainable future. The UK business continues to trade in administration, and we remain fully focused on exploring all options to take the business forward.”