Financial News, Industry News

The Body Shop Taken Over by Beauty Exec-Led Consortium

Auréa Group has rescued the iconic brand from administration.

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By: Christine Esposito

Editor-in-Chief

The Body Shop will live on. The naturals brand and retailer has been rescued from administration by Auréa Group, a beauty and wellness-focused private equity firm co-founded by Mike Jatania and Paul Raphaël.

Jatania is a seasoned executive who successfully scaled personal care company Lornamead before it was sold off 2013.

Jatania, who will be the executive chairman of The Body Shop, has tapped Charles Denton to serve as The Body Shop’s new CEO. Denton was CEO of Molton Brown when it was sold to Kao in 2005.

Jatania and Denton “will jointly steer The Body Shop’s revival and reclaim its global leadership in the ethical beauty sector it pioneered,” Auréa Group said in a statement.

The company says it will apply its “investment acumen, deep industry knowledge and operational expertise to rebuild the business while honoring the heritage and values that connect the brand with its customers.”

Adding to the Auréa Group Portfolio

Auréa Group’s portfolio includes Dcypher, a makeup brand; Herbivore and skincare brand; and Scandinavian Bio Labs, a haircare brand.

“With The Body Shop, we have acquired a truly iconic brand with highly engaged consumers in over 70 markets around the world. We plan to focus relentlessly on exceeding their expectations by investing in product innovation and seamless experiences across all of the channels where customers shop while paying homage to the brand’s ethical and activist positioning,” said Jatania.

According to Denton, “revitalizing the business will require bold action and a consumer-centric, commercially agile mindset.” We believe there’s a sustainable future ahead and working closely with the management team we aim to restore The Body Shop’s unique, values-driven, independent spirit.”

Who Has Owned The Body Shop: A Review

Private equity company Aurelius acquired The Body Shop last year from Natura & Co., which acquired the brand from L’Oréal in 2017. L’Oréal acquired The Body Shop 2006 from its founder, Anita Roddick.

Roddick—named a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2003 and died on Sept. 10, 2007—grew the company from its humble beginnings in 1976 into an ethical personal care powerhouse.

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