The Body Shop store closures: Beauty retailer closing half of UK stores with 7 closing immediately - full list

The Body Shop has announced the immediate closure of seven of its stores, with more to follow suit as the chain entered administration last week, putting more than 2,000 jobs at risk. The cosmetics retailer, which has roughly 200 outlets across the UK said it is closing half of its stores after administrators said the brand's current portfolio is no longer viable after "years of unprofitability."

The Body Shop is a significant employer in Britain, with a considerable workforce based at its London headquarters. It was reported previously that the administrators might consider 'closing a significant chunk' of The Body Shop's UK stores.

Administrators for FRP Advisory said in a statement: “After years of unprofitability and following a full evaluation of The Body Shop’s UK business, the joint administrators have concluded that the current store portfolio mix is no longer viable.

“This swift action will help re-energise The Body Shop’s iconic brand and provide it with the best platform to achieve its ambition to be a modern, dynamic beauty brand that is able to return to profitability and compete for the long term.”

The seven stores closing immediately are:

London

• Surrey Quays
• Oxford Street Bond Street
• Canary Wharf
• Cheapside

Warkwickshire

Nuneaton

Kent

Ashford Town Centre

Bristol

Bristol Queens Road

The Body Shop was acquired in November by Aurelius, a private equity firm, in a deal it said was valued at £207m. Retail sources said the new owner came to the conclusion that the company lacked working cash and was performing less well than expected after the purchase closed at the beginning of the year.

This comes after the company decided to close its Body Shop at Home division after 30 years. The scheme, which allows consultants to sell products and earn an income from the comfort of their home, will now cease operations on February 23. The cosmetics group previously said it is looking to shift its focus away from the UK market and towards South America.