Anita Roddick was a well-known name in the cosmetics industry all around the world. She is the founder, originator, and initiator of The Body Shop, a well-known wellness and cosmetics brand. Her ‘green’ oriented vision caused a global commotion. Interestingly, Roddick and her family started The Body Shop out of financial need, in order to alleviate cash flow problems and give financial security. Her travels and exposure to women’s bodily rituals, as well as firsthand knowledge living with fishing and farming villages and pre-industrialized people, provided her an advantage over other dealers. She combined it with her mother’s frugal nature, resulting in the concept of refillable containers and sample sachets, which led to the brand’s environmental activism. One of the first companies to prohibit the use of materials tested on animals and to promote fair trade with third-world countries, the company was one of the first to do so. The Body Shop became incredibly popular in a short period of time. Through its 2000 locations across the globe, the firm now serves 77 million customers. She was a strong environmental crusader and human rights activist in addition to being an entrepreneur.
The career of Anita Roddick
She began her career as a librarian at the International Herald Tribune in Paris. She then went on to work as an English and History teacher in England. She went on to work for the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Women’s Rights Department in Geneva.
Later, she and her future husband Gordon Roddick founded a restaurant together. The business prospered, and the pair opened a hotel in Littlehampton not long after.
While her husband was away on a trekking tour in America, she founded the cosmetic and wellness brand ‘The Body Shop’ in 1976 as a way to earn a living and support her children. It began as a means of providing financial assistance and has since grown to become the world’s largest cosmetic and health brand.
Despite having no formal business training or experience, she followed her husband’s advise and aimed for weekly sales of more than 300 pounds. Her company’s major goal was to offer high-quality skin care products in refillable containers and sample quantities.
The Body Shop was founded at a time when Europe was on the verge of adopting a “go green” credo. Since a result, the brand arrived just in time, as it was widely recognized for its environmentally responsible shopping practices. It was also the first socially and ecologically conscious company.
The success of the first business prompted the opening of a second shop within six months. Her husband, who had also returned from his journey, joined the company. In 1984, the company went public.
The Body Shop had almost 700 locations by 1991. It received the World Vision Award for Development Initiative the same year.
In 1997, she launched The Body Shop’s most popular ad with the development of Ruby, a size 16 doll that resembled Barbie. The campaign went off without a hitch.
The Body Shop has 1980 shops by 2004, servicing over 77 million clients worldwide. It was ranked the second most trusted brand in the UK and the world’s 28th most trusted brand.
L’Oreal purchased The Body Shop for 652 million pounds in 2006. The acquisition sparked outrage because L’Oreal was involved in animal research and was owned by Nestle, which has been chastised for its treatment of third-world manufacturers.
She was involved in a lot of charity work in addition to her role as the brand’s leader. She was a member of the Demos think tank’s advisory council and was well-known for her environmental efforts.
Following her travels to Romanian orphanages, she formed COTE (Children on the Edge). The organization’s major goal was to assist in the crisis management and strive to de-institutionalize the children over the course of their early lives. Its goal is to help underprivileged youngsters.
Stopping the dumping of hazardous waste in the North Sea, campaigning against sperm whale whaling, acid rain pollution, publishing the first Green diary, sponsoring unrepresented nations and people’s organizations, positive energy campaign, and so on are some of her humanitarian endeavors.
She was also a trustee or board member of a number of notable organizations, including Mother Jones Magazine – Foundation for National Progress, Human Rights Watch, The Ruckus Society, and the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation in the United States.
She also wrote a book called ‘Take It Personally,’ which advocated for equality and the abolition of worker and child exploitation in developing countries.
Achievements & Awards
She was awarded the prestigious Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) title in 1988.
Queen Elizabeth II bestowed the title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire on her in 2003.
Veuve Clicquot Businesses Woman of the Year (1984), Banksia Foundation’s Australia Environmental Award, Mexican Environmental Achiever Award, National Audubon Society Medal, Botwinick Prize in Business Ethics, Women’s Center’s Leadership Award, University of Michigan’s Annual Business Leadership Award, and British Environment & Media Award are among the other notable awards and distinctions bestowed upon her.
Women’s Business Development Center’s First Annual Woman Power Award, The Gleitsman Foundation’s Award of Achievement, International Peace Prayer Day Organization’s Woman of Peace, and Spirit of the Rainforest Award are among the numerous honors she has received.
She was awarded honorary doctorates from universities all over the world, including the University of Sussex’s Honorary Doctorate, the University of Bath’s Honorary Degree (Doctor of Laws), and The Sage Colleges’ Honorary Doctorate of Public Service.
Personal History and Legacy
Gordon Roddick was her husband when she married him in 1970. They had already given birth to one daughter and were expecting another.
She was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis in 2004. Three years later, she was diagnosed with hepatitis C, which she contracted as a result of a blood transfusion she received at the delivery of her second daughter.
After complaining of a bad headache, she was admitted to St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester. She died the next day, on September 10, 2007, as a result of an acute hemorrhage.
Estimated Net Worth
Anita is one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs and one of the most well-known. Anita Roddick’s net worth is estimated to be $1.5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.
Trivia
She was the well-known entrepreneur who founded ‘The Body Shop,’ a well-known cosmetics brand.