The Body Shop Sold to Aurelius for £207m in Significant Value Reduction

Sale Follows 'Most Difficult Year' for The Body Shop Amid Rising Competition and Shift to Online Beauty Trends

The Body Shop, a cosmetics retailer, has been sold by its Brazilian owner, Natura & Co, to private equity firm Aurelius for £207m, marking a significant reduction from the £870m Natura & Co paid for the business in 2017.
The sale follows what Natura & Co called 'the most difficult year in the history of The Body Shop', with the company recording a 24.3% fall in revenues last year.
The Body Shop, which was an early trailblazer in ethical beauty and toiletries, has lost its unique spot in the market amid the emergence of rivals such as Lush and Rituals that also tout environmentally friendly credentials.
The Body Shop has also been left flat-footed by the emergence of online beauty, with sales to younger generations often heavily influenced by social media trends.
The sale of The Body Shop is the second major deal by Natura & Co in the past year, following the sale of hand soap maker Aesop to L’Oreal for $2.5bn (£2bn) in April.