The former CEO of Erno Laszlo and Molton Brown, who led The Body Shop to a revival for a short period until this summer, is a potential rescuer of the failed Bodycare chain, a report has claimed.
Photo: Pexels
The Times said Charles Denton is leading a bid for Bodycare, the chain that ran into trouble and went under last month with all of its stores now closed.
But Denton wants to reopen around 70 of the stores and re-employ about 700 staff.
The newspaper said Denton “has assembled a group of backers to acquire Bodycare’s brand and assets” and wants to reopen a raft of stores, subject to negotiations with landlords.
Bodycare’s administrator Interpath Advisory is continuing to look at options for the business that entered administration early last month. An original deadline for offers had been set for 25 September.
After the administration filing, it had originally been hoped that some stores could continue trading but in the end all 147 were shut and its 1,500 employees were made redundant.
The Times said four or five potential bidders remain in the running but Denton could be the frontrunner and is the most credible.
He has a powerful track record and his year at the helm of The Body Shop saw it making a successful comeback. The UK business was back in profit within 100 days of its administration. It’s now run by chairman Mike Jatania, who’s a key investor behind new owner Auréa.
As for Bodycare, its stores were mainly focused on Northern England and the Midlands. The chain began as a market stall in 1970 and carved out a successful business in the space between value chains and premium retailers, selling some big-name brands across the price spectrum.
It was profitable pre-pandemic but, like many retailers, ran into trouble in the changed post-pandemic world.
The newspaper said Denton’s plan is to focus on the business’s heritage but to update it with an expanded product range and bigger focus on e-commerce.
