The Body Shop sells European business

The Body Shop is selling its operations in (most of) continental Europe and some parts of Asia to a “family-owned international firm”. The chain was only recently purchased by Aurelius, which is wasting no time making its mark on its new property.

Key role in turnaround

The American investor bought the sustainable cosmetics brand from Natura &Co last November, for 207 million pounds. Immediately afterwards, the acquirer initiated a turnaround, as the brand had been presenting disappointing results for some time.

The parts of the company being sold account for a seventh of international sales, Retail Week reports. Details about the deal and which countries are involved are currently unknown. However, it is clear that both physical shops and online are involved, but that the acquisition will not affect the brand’s franchise partners. The British branch is also excluded from the deal.

Private investor Aurelius calls it a “decisive step towards a strong turnaround strategy”, with the new owner looking to focus on strategically important markets and making The Body Shop a modern and dynamic beauty brand. The company also wants to find more main franchise partners, develop new sales channels and commit more strongly to digital platforms, according to Retail Week.