Coop no longer runs Body Shop branches
Keystone-SDA
The Body Shop is facing closure in Switzerland. Retailer Coop is no longer extending the franchise agreement for its cosmetics subsidiary.
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Alternative uses are to be found for the remaining stores in Switzerland. All employees are to receive an offer of continued employment within the cooperative.
As the franchisee of The Body Shop Switzerland, Coop has decided against extending the contract because the “unique positioning” of the brand no longer exists, the retailer said on Tuesday. The Coop Group intends to use the vacated space in the 33 stores for other “specialist formats”. The 108 employees affected are to be kept on within the cooperative.
The cosmetics company filed for insolvency on behalf of its parent company in the UK in mid-February 2024. The Swiss branches of The Body Shop, which were acquired by Coop in 2010, were not affected by the insolvency proceedings.
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Focus on ethically produced cosmetics
The Body Shop was founded in 1976 by Anita Roddick in Brighton, in the UK. The company’s focus was on ethically produced cosmetics and skincare products – revolutionary at the time.
However, the concept of scoring points with sustainable and natural cosmetics is now being pursued by many cosmetics companies, said a Coop spokesperson when asked by the news agency AWP. He left open whether the division was making losses and whether the expiry of the franchise would result in a write-off in the Coop accounts.
The franchise agreement reportedly runs until the end of May 2025.
Translated from German by DeepL/ts
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