The Body Shop will relaunch Dutch operations following a recent bankruptcy
The Body Shop, a renowned global cosmetics brand, will relaunch operations in the Netherlands, with at least five stores set to reopen under new ownership following a recent bankruptcy, according to curator Cedric de Breet. German entrepreneur Stefan Herzberg, through his company SHG Retail, will take over these locations.
SHG Retail will assume control of The Body Shop outlets in Batavia Stad, Roermond, Roosendaal, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam’s Kinkerstraat. Herzberg, who has prior experience managing The Body Shop operations, successfully revived 21 German branches earlier this year. The curator indicated that SHG Retail may acquire additional locations in the coming weeks, though final decisions are pending.
Beyond these directly managed outlets, five independently operated franchise stores that were not included in the bankruptcy proceedings will continue operations independently.
Under SHG’s management, The Body Shop’s Dutch online store will relaunch, addressing months of inactivity attributed to "planned updates." Customers in the Netherlands will now be directed to the brand’s German website, with orders promised to be delivered within days.
The Body Shop filed for bankruptcy in the Netherlands in early November 2024, impacting 27 stores and approximately 100 employees, including part-time staff. This development followed similar financial struggles in Belgium and earlier this year in the United Kingdom, where the nearly 50-year-old brand was also declared insolvent.
The brand, known for its sustainable skincare and haircare products, was founded in 1976 in Brighton, England, by Anita Roddick. At its peak, it operated 3,000 stores in 70 countries. Roddick sold the business to French cosmetics giant L’Oréal in 2006, a year before her death.
SHG Retail’s acquisition aligns with a broader restructuring effort led by private equity firm Auréa, which assumed control of The Body Shop’s parent company earlier this year. In Belgium, however, no comparable rescue effort materialized, and operations ceased entirely by March 2024.
Further updates on the status of The Body Shop’s remaining Dutch locations and ongoing negotiations for additional acquisitions are expected in the coming weeks.
