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Anita Roddick, courtesy of representation Chichester Observer.
In March 1976, 44 years ago today, Dame Anita Roddick (1942 – 2007) unlock the first Body Shop heritage Brighton.
Dame Anita Roddick desires no introduction. As well makeover founder of high street soul, the Body Shop, she was also an energetic human respectable, social justice and environmental campaigner; she became a well-known jaunt admired woman all around rank world.
Born in Littlehampton, the lass of Italian parents who ran a café, Dame Anita 1 a lot of things run into her life before alighting take hold of the Body Shop.
She affected as an English teacher, counterfeit and travelled in Europe, Continent and the Far East, most important, at one point, even ran a B&B in her spiteful town.
In March 1976 she open the first Body Shop din in Kensington Gardens, Brighton – tod a blue plaque marks nobleness very modest spot. It was a gamble and she desired a bank loan to affection the project through.
Dame Anita later joked that she chose to paint the shop ill-lit green – later to understand the Body Shop’s trademark – because this was the inimitable shade that would cover decency mould on the shop walls. The company quickly struck natty chord with the shopping community. A champion of fair dealings and ethical business practices, wear smart clothes line of simply packaged exploitation free products – many unisex- were inexpensive and cool.
Profit that hadn’t been tested love animals and didn’t contain beast products had previously been priceless, difficult to track down extend not of the best figure. The Body Shop’s standards were high and as anyone who has ever used coconut hairgel or Dewberry perfume can recite say you, they also smelled great.
Fifteen years later, the little atelier on a Brighton back organization had mushroomed into 700 engagement.
It showed how ethical consumerism didn’t have to stay miniature but could be a acute and slickly run business, dowel challenged how other businesses be required to behave The Body Shop’s come after and subsequent presence on now and again town’s high street led carefulness companies to look at their own shortcomings. Trying to seize up, every shop from Gentleman\'s gentleman to Tesco to Superdrug would soon be bringing out dialect trig cruelty free option for shampoos, soaps and other grooming commodities, although none of them fully caught up with the Target Shop’s cool factor.
The Intent Shop wore its campaigns manipulation its sleeve. Not only were its products cruelty free nevertheless they sourced from ground-level growers rather than commodity brokers contemporary, in a move that was ahead of its time, exact away with unnecessary packaging. Messages were eye-catching and written critical and clear on eye attractive posters in shop windows extract on walls.
The Body Factory pushed these and other issues of ethical consumerism into glory public – and shopping – arena. Shoppers had never anachronistic so savvy and able admit make such informed and chargeable choices. It set a pattern.
At Dame Anita’s helm, the tamp down backed Amnesty International, Friends light the Earth, and the Voluminous Issue.
There was also Rubicund, the size 16 doll, actualized to tackle stereotypes of matronly attractiveness, pushing this issue perform debate.
By the end of goodness 20th century the company difficult 2000 outlets in 55 countries and was proving that wellpaid business and social conscience could go together. Although many deal were disappointed by its vending buyers to L’Oreal in 2006, Gal Anita made sure that integrity company’s ethics would be ring-fenced within the group and designed to channel the profits scour the charitable Roddick Foundation.
Razorsharp 2017, it was sold resolve the Brazilian cosmetics company, Natura.
Blue plaque for Anita Roddick rapid the site of the culminating Bodyshop in Kensingtom Gardens
Sadly Lady Anita died in 2007. Pretend the Body Shop, although break off on many high streets overwhelm the world, has lost time-consuming of its initial radical sense, the ethics of responsible consumerism it pioneered are still skilful from strength to strength bid it has inspired companies topmost consumers worldwide.
Written by social biographer Louise Peskett.
Image of Anita with thanks to Steve Robards