The Body Shop to launch 20 sustainability-focussed workshop stores this year

The Boy Shop will be launching 12 stores in tier II and III cities this year,

The Body Shop, a premium beauty brand, has transformed its top store in Mumbai’s Palladium Mall to a unique sustainability-focussed activist workshop, where not only products but even store fixtures are outfitted with recycled and sustainable materials.

Going ahead, the company plans to launch 20 more such stores in the country this year and eventually transform all its outlets to activist workshops. The British company of late has been stepping up its sustainability efforts across the world and has launched similar stores in London and Singapore.

“It is the new global identity of the brand where we are bringing purpose-led ideology to life and hence we have launched a store which speaks sustainability at every level,” said Vishal Chaturvedi, Vice President, The Body Shop India.

“We will enter new locations such as Varanasi and Imphal, and launch stores with the same concept, and over time all our stores will be overhauled as we step up our efforts towards sustainability,” he added.

According to Chaturvedi, the company will be launching 12 stores in tier II and III cities this year, and the rest will be introduced in existing locations.

The beauty and personal care industry of late has seen mushrooming of clean beauty brands which offer organic products to consumers but also position themselves as socially responsible brands. Mamaearth, a new-age D2C brand, talks about its initiative to plant trees in its advertising campaigns. Plum Goodness, another new-age brand, positions itself as a vegan, cruelty-free and non-toxic beauty brand.

The Body Shop, too, a vegetarian brand so far, will become a vegan brand soon.

Currently, all product lines of The Body Shop globally, according to the company, contain 75 percent post-consumer recycled plastic (PCR) including CFT plastic from India. In 2021, the brand launched its most sustainable haircare yet – all haircare bottles and tubs are 100 percent recyclable and are made from 100 percent recycled plastic.

The activist workshop store will help customers easily recycle their beauty product packaging. The store has been outfitted with sustainable fixtures made from reclaimed wood and recycled plastics to help minimise its environmental footprint. Examples include usage of aluminium, which requires less energy production than other materials and is infinitely recyclable.

“The store also boasts worktop surfaces that are manufactured from 100 percent recycled material, otherwise destined for landfills,” said Chaturvedi.

The Body Shop piloted its RRR programme during the pandemic in select stores. Through this pilot, The Body Shop has already recycled over 50,000 plastic bottles. The brand plans to drive up its recycling goals to at least 1 million plastic bottles by 2024.

The initiatives by The Body Shop come as it faces competition from start-ups globally and in India in a segment where it has been positioned for several years.