The Body Shop: Future of Hastings store confirmed

Earlier this month, around 2,000 jobs and 100 high street shops across the UK were put at risk after the business went into administration.

FRP Advisory was brought in to help restructure the company just weeks after it had been bought out by new owners, for the third time since Littlehampton-born founder Anita Roddick sold the company in 2006.

In a major update today (Thursday, February 29), The Body Shop’s joint administrators have confirmed which stores will remain open and which will close, as part of the restructuring of the business.

The Hastings branch, based at Bank Buildings, Station Road, is one of the 75 branches that will shut, according to the company managing the restructuring of the beauty chain.

The closure of the 75 branches across the country means that 489 people will be made redundant, the administrators said.

The Body Shop’s joint administrators confirmed that 116 other stores in the UK will remain open and added that the 75 stores set for closure will shut in a phased period over the next four to six weeks.

Tony Wright, Joint Administrator from FRP Advisory, which is managing the restructuring, 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. The UK business continues to trade in administration, and we remain fully focused on exploring all options to take the business forward.”

The Joint Administrators said they will support all impacted staff with claims to the Redundancy Payments Service.

The changes announced only impact The Body Shop business in the UK.

The Body Shop was founded in Brighton in 1976 by the late Dame Anita Roddick.