The Body Shop to shut 75 stores and cut hundreds of jobs
Hannah Boland
Seven stores have already been closed, including the retailer's flagship Oxford Street shop - ANDY RAIN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
The Body Shop is to shut 75 stores and cut almost 500 jobs over the coming weeks after it collapsed into administration.
Shops slated for closure include The Body Shop’s site on Regent Street, London, which comes just days after its flagship store on Oxford Street shut.
FRP, which is handling the Body Shop’s administration process, said they would be shutting dozens of stores over the next four to six weeks, having already closed seven sites earlier this month.
Administrators previously said they planned to retain more than half of the 198 locations, although had not given a precise figure.
In its latest update, FRP said 82 of the shops have already been closed or will be closed. The upcoming closures will mean 489 workers will be made redundant in the next few weeks. Many of the locations closing are in town and city centres, including High Wycombe, Wolverhampton and Bolton.
Tony Wright, joint administrator, said: “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.”
FRP said it was “fully focused on exploring all options to take the business forward”.
It comes after the Telegraph revealed earlier this month that the taxpayer was on the line to foot The Body Shop’s redundancy bill.
Staff were told in a video call last week to make claims through the Government-backed redundancy payments service if they were included in the lay-offs.
Workers must have worked at The Body Shop for at least two years to qualify for redundancy pay.
Hannah Boland
Seven stores have already been closed, including the retailer's flagship Oxford Street shop - ANDY RAIN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
The Body Shop is to shut 75 stores and cut almost 500 jobs over the coming weeks after it collapsed into administration.
Shops slated for closure include The Body Shop’s site on Regent Street, London, which comes just days after its flagship store on Oxford Street shut.
FRP, which is handling the Body Shop’s administration process, said they would be shutting dozens of stores over the next four to six weeks, having already closed seven sites earlier this month.
Administrators previously said they planned to retain more than half of the 198 locations, although had not given a precise figure.
In its latest update, FRP said 82 of the shops have already been closed or will be closed. The upcoming closures will mean 489 workers will be made redundant in the next few weeks. Many of the locations closing are in town and city centres, including High Wycombe, Wolverhampton and Bolton.
Tony Wright, joint administrator, said: “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.”
FRP said it was “fully focused on exploring all options to take the business forward”.
It comes after the Telegraph revealed earlier this month that the taxpayer was on the line to foot The Body Shop’s redundancy bill.
Staff were told in a video call last week to make claims through the Government-backed redundancy payments service if they were included in the lay-offs.
Workers must have worked at The Body Shop for at least two years to qualify for redundancy pay.
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Summary
The Body Shop to close 75 stores, affecting nearly 500 employees due to administration; shop closures include Regent Street and Oxford Street locations. FRP is handling the process, aiming to save more than half of the 198 locations. Redundancy claims can be made through the Government-backed