Anita Roddick, a woman passionate about ethical and environmental causes, started The Body Shop in 1976 to make a living for herself and her daughters while her husband was traveling. Her inspiration for her skin care line came from her many travels…”My early travels had given me a wealth of experience. I had spent time in farming and fishing communities with pre-industrial peoples, and been exposed to body rituals of women from all over the world.” she wrote.
Her business philosphy was all about protecting the environment and fighting for ethical causes….”why throw away a container when you can refill it?”
One of the many causes The Body Shop was instrumental in was rainforest conservation. When thousands of acres of rainforest in South America where threatened, they set up community trade initiatives with Amazon tribes who gathered brazil nuts from the rain forests. Brazil nuts have natural moisturizers that The Body Shop uses in their skin care lines. The Amazon tribes were able to keep the forest land they lived on and make a sustainable living for themselves.
The Body Shop’s mission statement is ‘To dedicate our business to the pursuit of social and environmental change.’ Voting rights, anti-sexism, banning animal-testing and debt relief for third world countries are more of the many causes that The Body Shop dedicated itself to.
Unfortunately Anita passed away in 2007 from a brain hemorage but her legacy will live on and inspire millions.
I believe one of the keys to her success was using her business success for a good cause. Anita had a good product but more importantly a business philosphy people wanted to support.
I have to laugh at this quote from Anita Roddick that The New York Times posted. “I have never felt that beauty products are the body and blood of Jesus Christ,” she once said. “Nothing the Body Shop sells pretends to do anything other than it says. Moisturizers moisturize, fresheners freshen and cleansers cleanse. End of story.” It just goes to show that what sets her business apart from all the other skin care companies and what made it so successful was her unique and passionate business philosphy.
Anita was able to launch her business into a multi-million dollar company by offering franchises. Now it has over 2,000 stores worldwide. The Body Shop was sold to L’Oreal for $1.14 billion in 2006.
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