The Body Shop may emerge from administration in August

Former Molton Brown chief executive Charles Denton, who will be leading the chain under Auréa, took to LinkedIn to say that it had begun working with The Body Shop’s HQ staff to develop a “strategic plan that sets up the business for long-term growth”.

Denton said the chain hopes to emerge from administration in August if “everything plays out as intended”.

The move will bring an end to The Body Shop’s six months in administration after it collapsed in February. 

Administrators from FRP Advisory have closed 75 of the retailer’s stores in the UK, resulting in 489 job losses, and have been running an auction of the rest of the business. 

In a LinkedIn post, Denton said: “The past six months have been extremely distressing for the entire organisation – a never-ending stream of advisers, consultants, new owners, administrators, redundancies, closures – and all the while working under a cloud of uncertainty.  

“Everyone I met, without exception, exhibited the same qualities: passion, commitment, talent, and, of course, extraordinary resilience.

“I’m truly impressed by their courage and determination to keep going. Over the next few weeks, we’ll work together to develop a strategic plan that sets up the business for long-term growth. If everything plays out as intended, we should emerge from administration in August.  

“It’s time to change the narrative around this powerful brand, which is loved all over the world. I am optimistic about the future and look forward to what we can achieve together. Will it be tough? Absolutely, but we have all the right ingredients to succeed.”