THE OXFORD STREET BRANCH OF THE BODY SHOP HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO AN “ACTIVIST WORKSHOP” AS PART OF THE ETHICAL BEAUTY RETAILER’S PLEDGE TO REVIVE ITS EARLY CAMPAIGNING SPIRIT.

  The new central London concept store encourages customers (Body Shop calls them “visitors”) to explore and recycle products and discover how they “can fight for a fairer and more beautiful world”.   The tone is set by the many sustainable store fixtures that have been incorporated into the new fit-out. Recycled plastic and reclaimed wood are used throughout while external cladding is made from eco-friendly zinc (which uses less energy to produce than other metals and is fully recyclable). Meanwhile, worktop surfaces are manufactured from 100% recycled materials destined for landfill, and stools are made with reclaimed steel.   At the activists corner customers can find out about The Body Shop’s activist roots and how they can get involved and take a stand on green issues themselves.   Other special features include a refill station, where customers can buy a refillable 250ml aluminium bottle to fill up with a range of shower gels and creams, and a recycling bin (operated by recycling specialist TerraCycle) and a water station.   The interactive theme continues more conventionally with a gifting station, where customers are encouraged to get creative and personalise gifts with stamps, ribbons and recyclable paper.