The Body Shop: A shift in consumer perception post-administration?
The Body Shop entered administration in the UK in February 2024. While the brand was subsequently acquired by Auréa in July 2024, it continues to face operational and reputational challenges. Has consumer perception changed towards the brand since it filed for administration?
BrandIndex data suggests that public perception of the brand is on the path to recovery.
BrandIndex data indicates that the brand’s metrics have not deteriorated substantially among high street retail shoppers beyond the initial downturn. Index scores—which average six key perception metrics (Impression, Value, Quality, Reputation, Satisfaction, and Recommend)—fell by 9.7 points following the administration filing on 13 February 2024. However, this decline was short-lived. The score began a steady recovery and reached 16.6 by 13 May 2025, nearly a year after the administration event.
A closer examination of individual metrics reveals a similar recovery trajectory. Quality scores, which reflect whether consumers believe the brand offers good or bad product quality, dropped from 31.9 on 5 March to a low of 16.0 on 26 April 2024. Since then, the score has improved to 25.0 as of 12 May 2025, though it has not yet returned to pre-administration levels.
The Value metric—measuring perceptions of value for money—experienced a sharper decline. Scores moved from a solidly positive 8.5 to -1.8 (slightly negative) between 7 March and 26 May 2024. However, this metric has also shown signs of improvement in the months since.
But has the administration story affected overall satisfaction with the brand? Our data suggests it hasn't. Customer satisfaction scores stayed at an average of 22.5 throughout this period – with a low point of 17.1 (9 August 2024). This suggests that despite challenges, the core customer base continues to find satisfaction in The Body Shop’s offerings.
Consideration scores—which indicate whether consumers would consider purchasing from the brand—fell from 15.3 to 10.4, a decline of 4.9 points. While this metric has seen intermittent declines, it remains in positive territory and has shown signs of recovery.
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