A lot has come out of this catchphrase. “Get up, break it.”But what happens when a company goes bankrupt because it isn’t actually woke enough? This is the case for The Body Shop, a high street skincare and beauty retailer. came to power.
Founded in 1976, The Body Shop was once a pioneering pioneer in ethical, cruelty-free business built on values of environmental conscience and social justice.Founder Anita Roddick defended “Inclusive beauty” with an advertising campaign centered around a full-body doll called Ruby. She posted photos of missing people on the side of her delivery truck. And in 1991, she led a petition that gathered over 4 million signatures to stop animal testing.
But now The Body Shop has become another victim. TikTok in the beauty industry. With beauty trends now just a swipe away rather than a trip to the store, The Body Shop is connecting with new customers and positioning itself with a new generation who are discovering their favorite products on social media. I couldn’t do it either. The modern prevalence of “Body Shop values” also means that the business has lost its unique selling point. “Sustainable,” “eco-friendly,” and “green” are no longer just buzzwords, they are industry standards. As more and more companies join the Clean, Natural and Ethical team, The Body Shop can no longer compete with online-enabled brands such as Aesop, Glossier, Sephora, Elf and The Ordinary.
But what’s really more important to young audiences, being vegan or being viral? Gen Z is often praised as more sustainable and environmentally conscious consumers, but the reality is far more It’s complicated.research by McKinsey suggests that the cost of living crisis has reduced Gen Z’s desire to purchase sustainable products, with all age groups instead prioritizing price, quality, and convenience.another investigation We found that this group is more likely than any other generation to value lower cost over environmentally friendly products.
Much has been said about Gen Z’s strong moral values, but their concerns about climate change and social justice don’t necessarily translate into purchasing behavior.they are greedy consumer A number of fast fashion brands engage in highly unethical practices (TikTok has a subgenre called “Clothing Hauls” where content creators show off their recent purchases, many of which have been purchased once) (They are not thrown away after being worn or used once.)Zoomer is trip More (and more flying) than the previous generation.They are the generation least likely to recycle; and in between 60% Only 20% of people say brand sustainability is important to them, but only 20% actively seek out information about it.
This cognitive dissonance is a problem for brands like The Body Shop, which can’t compete with online retailers on price, but isn’t valued enough by consumers to justify a premium. The Body Shop, for example, launched refill stations in hundreds of stores starting in 2021, which may have appealed to people’s social sensibilities but didn’t hit the pockets of price-conscious people. Ta. The company also tried other initiatives, including discontinuing face wipes, expanding its refill program to cosmetics, and creating a welfare bill for future generations. But nothing beats the cult of convenience and the temptation of celebrity influencers touting beauty products while simultaneously using filters, ring lights, and other editing tools. High street brands have no chance of winning.