Anita Roddick
By: Amanda Dedrick
Founder of: The Body Shop
What is The Body Shop? A cosmetic company
What makes it unique? It helped shape ethical consumerism by being one of the first companies to prohibit the testing of ingredients on animals. Also, it was one of the first to promote fair trade with third world countries.
Founder
British business woman, Anita Roddick, was a human rights activist and environmental campaigner. The goal for her business was not to make money, but to use ethical and moral principles in deciding how the business is run.
The Company
- Roddick opened her first shop in Brighton called "The Shop" in 1979. It was located between two funeral parlors.
- From the beginning she wanted to keep an ethical message, which helped it grow as a strong brand image.
- The Body Shop had over 700 shops worldwide in 1991
- It's considered to be the 2nd most respected brand name in the UK.
- Anita Roddick passed away in 2007 after selling the Body Shop to L'Oreal for £652million in 2006.
Interesting Facts
- Roddick was born in a bomb shelter in Littlehampton, Sussex.
- She first worked as a teacher, then for the United Nations, allowing her to travel a lot and meet many people.
- She founded the charitable organization, Children On The Edge, in 1990.
- Queen Elizabeth II appointed her a Dame Commander of the Order of British Empire in 2003.