Question mark over future for The Body Shop staff at Peterborough's Queensgate as retailer collapses into administration

​Staff at The Body Shop face an uncertain time after the cosmetics retailer went into administration.

The Body Shop, which has about 200 stores in the UK including one in the Queensgate Shopping Centre, collapsed into administration in the UK.

It comes less than three months after being taken over by private equity company, Aurelius.

It is thought more than 2,200 jobs are at risk at the cosmetics chain.

Dr Cheryl Greyson, senior lecturer in the Faculty of Business, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at ARU Peterborough, said: “With twice as many stores as competitors like Lush, and a reliance on buying expensive high-quality ingredients from small producers, The Body Shop hasn’t kept up with the changing times and the economic challenges facing the High Street today.

She said: “The Body Shop is still seen as a strong ethical brand, but to survive, they will need to run more efficiently, and perhaps bring back some of their old product ranges that customers still remember and love.”

It has been reported that experts say the brand will survive in some form but with far fewer shops.

It will be another headache for the Queensgate managers if The Body Shop store at the centre is closed coming just weeks after Marks and Spencer announced plans to close its store in the centre in the next few months.

Dr Greyson said: “The hard times continue for the High Street. There is no word on which branches may be potentially affected, but staff and customers of the Queensgate store will, I’m sure, be very concerned.

She said: “The Body Shop, founded in 1976 by Anita Roddick, was really one of the first ethical beauty businesses selling products that had natural ingredients and minimal packaging.

"The brand had a strong policy against animal testing, promoted sustainability by offering refills, and was active in supporting social causes.

"Products like Peppermint Foot Lotion, Body Butter, and the White Musk and Dewberry fragrances proved really popular.

Dr Greyson added: “But it’s fair to say that perceptions of The Body Shop changed after Roddick sold the business to L’Oréal in 2006, just 18 months before her death; a global corporation that had been well-known for testing cosmetics on animals.”