The Body Shop may have opened its first store in Brighton and indeed once upon a time, the company's forward-thinking ethical philosophy was right at home on the streets of Brighton. Sadly this is no longer the case. Since the L'Oreal takeover, there have been serious question marks over the legitimacy of The Body Shop's ethical image. Since the parent company certainly aren't towing the BS's original party line, how can we be sure that some of the Body Shop's ingredients and products aren't now tested on animals? And even if they aren't, it doesn't seem right that they are owned by a huge multinational anyway. It's a ll a bit depressing really- the Body Shop, once a beacon of light, leading the way in ethical high-street shopping, seem to have been co-opted!
For all of the reasons above, the North St branch depresses me a little. Like Tasha S. I have fond memories of walking around the Body Shop as a child, enthralled by the fruity smells and bright colours. My mum used to stuff my Xmas stocking with mini soap shapes and 'Save the Planet' animal flannels...it would seem those magical Body Shop days are all but gone! The North St shop seems sleek and corporate- you can clearly see the transformation from hip, socially-conscious small business to L'Oreal style branding and styling. Such a shame :( read more