CSR: The Body Shop

This article discusses The Body Shop's commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and their initiatives towards ethical business practices and sustainability. It covers their stand against animal testing, human rights defense, support for community fair trade, and more. The article also evaluates The Body Shop's CSR work based on Carroll's Pyramid of CSR and discusses core concepts and theories in CSR.

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CSR: THE BODY SHOP
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Introduction/Overview
The Body Shop (TBS) is a London based multinational company. It was established in March
1976 by Dame Anita Roddick in Brighton. With continuously growing it has more than 3, 000
franchise stores in 66 countries. L’Oreal, who owned the company 2006-2017 sold it to Natura, a
Brazilian cosmetics brands for £880 million. Its mission is to develop its brand portfolios known
for natural and home-based cosmetics with a basic focus to enrich the products, people and
planet not just achievement in financial statements. It has initiated a sustainable business
development model by introducing with more than 1000 assorted products made of natural
ingredients, no chemical uses, eco-friendly substances, green production and product delivery
through the green marketing practices.
It has incorporated ethical value system in its business model since its foundation.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is its basic philosophy. It has positioned its brand as a
product for a good cause. It has formulated sustainable and integrated programs for all its
stakeholders like farmers, suppliers, trade partners, etc. It utilises only vegetarian inputs to its
cosmetic production system and forever against animal testing.
Analysis of CSR work
Stand Against Animal testing
The body shop is well-known for its stand against animal testing of cosmetic products as they
supposed that testing toiletries and cosmetic on the animal are unethical. It believes in producing
high quality, innovative products with completely from natural ingredients without harming any
animals. Also, refuses to deal with suppliers who test on animals. The Body Shop has shown
strong commitment and has set high monitoring standards for its peers around the world.

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Human Rights Defense
Over the procedure above 40 years of development, The Body Shop respects local, political and
all cultural differences and always ensures that all their business activities adhere to basic human
rights provision. By upholding the influence of media through marketing campaigns and in stores
across the world. It always conveys the message of equal rights to every individual and strives to
persuade their supplier by their influence for the justice in a trade to ensure proper working
conditions, protection of privacy and appropriate security for all. The Body shop has worked in
the past with the UN (United Nations) to create awareness of violence against children and have
regular audits to have a check on this.
Protect Planet Earth
It believes in supporting environmentally responsible materials and promotes technology that
harnesses renewable sources of energy and sustainable raw materials. The body shop only using
recycled materials for the packaging of all products, decrease energy utilisation in production
and seek different renewable sources of energy to meet growing demand. It powerfully
supporters for sustainable development that does not incorporate the aptitude of the upcoming
generations to meet their requirements. It sets global standards which require all stakeholders to
adhere to relevant international legislation or conventions.
The Body Shop Foundation
The body shop foundation works closely as a charitable provision of the body shop. Since 1989,
it supports and funds different innovative project worldwide based on social and environmental.

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It is fundraising over £21 million to thousands of minor projects and charities based on human
rights, environmental protection, and animal welfare.
Activate self-esteem
The body shop always encourages self-confidence, self-worth, self-awareness, and self-
acceptance. As a powerful cosmetic brand, it creates meaning for a value of an individual such as
they always promote socially positive messages of their media campaign. The messages inspire
audiences such that everyone has their concept of beauty, to respect themselves, look after their
body and soul, being proud of yourself and what they do, not just how they look compared to
others.
Support for Community Fair Trade
The community fair trade was launched in 1987 to create trading relationships directly with
marginalised communities around the world; the body shop aims to prevent injustice to small
producers who are often at the unfortunate end in case of global crises. It wants to give a fair
living wage, sustainable community development, and a long-term relationship. Through this
community trade, the body shop sources high-quality natural ingredients, gifts, and accessories
from the four places of the world, whereas serving to bring social adjustment for the
smallholders and artisan who create them. Likewise, Community fair trade programmed offers
access to a market were out of reach for their communities and people with low-cost raw
materials for its products, with a tinge of ethics on it. Nowadays, the body shop has 26
community trade dealers in 21 nations worldwide, as well as benefiting 300,000 people.
Moreover, the above 1,200 products, 80% cover at least one Community Fair Trade ingredient.

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The community fair trade correspondingly supports the unpaid work of women. The
governments and organisations have begun recognising the unpaid work of women; they realised
there are economic and social benefits for recognising women’s unpaid work although this
recognition is happening on a small scale, it is opening up new ways governments and
organisations can measure and think about unpaid labour which they largely ignored before. As a
way to acknowledge women’s unpaid work in the country of Nicaragua, the body shop created a
fund and gave 70 women money to start their businesses (Butler 2014)
Furthermore, some major campaigns taken up by The Body Shop include:
1. Spray to change Attitudes Campaign to stop HIV; it worked hard to create the awareness
how this deadly disease transmitted among young people. It partners with MTV to launch
this campaign. Proceeds from a fragrance were donated to the Stay alive foundation.
2. Stop Violence in the Home Campaign- Domestic violence is prevalent even today in
many societies and 2006 it was estimated that 275 million children were subjected to
domestic’s violence. It encouraged the public to speak out against domestic violence. It
partnered with Women’s Aid to ensure women and child safety. It wanted everyone to
feel safe in their own homes.
The Body Shop reveals that it will implement a new global CSR strategy which is “Enrich not
exploit” commitment for their 40th birthday outlining 14 targets to help uphold its spot as a leader
in ethical business and continue to grow and improve the business, with an emphasis on the three
pillars includes enrich people, to enrich products, to enrich planet. The body shop wants to
proves that their business is stronger than ever with this commitment and completely about being

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environmentally sustainable and socially responsible. What is more, their goals are to achieve the
world’s most ethical and truthfully sustainable international business by 2020.
Enrich people
First The Body Shop will double the community trade program to 40 ingredients from 19 and
enrich communities producing as the community trade help them learn the best sustainability
activities, values and methods in their supply chain with different agricultural methods and
keener production techniques to positive influences on ecosystems and local groups. So, they can
share the positive practices across the broader supply chain. Following, they want to engage 8
millions of men and women in The Body Shop’s enrich not exploit mission as they want to be
the voice with 8 millions people of decision making and act now for the long-term positive
change to protect the planet. Thirdly, they will spend 250,000 hours of knowledge & skills to
enrich biodiversity of local communities, because they believe that employees highly skilled,
knowledge and desire will make a positive effect to the societies of place they work. Finally, the
body shop will help 40,000 people across the world to access work and job so they can afford
basic needs for their families and this can change their future.
Enrich planet
Currently, habitat damage is caused by agricultural expansion and harvests of forest goods, as a
business aiming to be environmentally sustainable protecting of habitat are significant to The
Body shop. They will help the communities to live sustainably by build bio-bridges, regenerate
and protect 75 million square meters of habitat. Secondly, the body shop seeks the use of
sustainable packaging innovations to decrease the influence on the environment by using fewer

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resources throughout manufacture and rise the use of recycling. The body shop will power their
stores with 100% carbon balanced or renewable energy to reduce emissions that will lead to
climate change and consider that every business should also use renewable energy. Besides, they
will reduce the environmental footprint each time the stores are refurbished and redesign, since
the unsustainable use of resources will lead to a reduction in natural resources, and the uses of
energy associated with fossil fuels will resulting to climate change. They will start off by
ensuring that 70% of product packaging does not use fossil fuels and hopefully get rid of plastic
created from oil; they support of keeping fossil fuels under the ground. Lastly, they will reduce
energy usage by 10 per cent each year to engage employee throughout other environmental
creativities.
Enrich products
To enrich products, the body shop will guarantee 100% of ingredients are sustainably sourced
and similarly protect 10,000 hectares of forest, and natural habitat as these are vital life-support
for the earth, fascinating CO2 to decrease the effect of climate change and holding natural
resources for the future generations while also protecting the life of local people. Non-renewable
supplies are decreasing day by day, the body shop wishes to be transparent and will issue their
use ingredients from green chemistry, ingredients of natural origin, biodegradability and water
footprint of products to reduce the impact on the environment. Every product of consumers will
arrive at the environment in some way either when it is disposed of or used. The body shop
wants to be able to measure the environmental impact and established objective to reduce it in
the future. Completely, the body shop will have an innovation pipeline transporting cosmetic

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ingredients from biodiversity hotspots helping broader ecosystems, certain species and the living
of local communities.
Evaluate the CSR work of The Body Shop
Carroll’ Pyramid of CSR
Figure 1: Carroll’s Pyramid of CSR
According to Carroll’s pyramid, economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic measures must be
included in a company’s CSR activities. The body shop’s CSR, they successfully encounter their
responsibilities on each level of Carroll’s Pyramid of CSR.
Based on Economic responsibilities, the body shop manufacturing toiletries and cosmetics that
are made of natural ingredients without the use of animal testing. The products are packaged in
recyclable packages at a reasonable price for customers with respectable, and ethics quality
products, as well as firm's staffs, are coached with low-stress sales strategies on clients which

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lead their revenue to increase from 379.6 million pounds in 2002 to 485.8 million pounds in
2006 (Purkayastha & Fernando 2007). The body shop success at this stage.
In term of legal responsibilities, the body shop was not concerned much about lawsuits as they
believe that their product is a natural ingredient and had been used securely for periods, without
animal testing, which shows that they complied with all the law included health and safety
regulation.
For the ethical responsibilities, the body shop is retailing products that are complete of natural
components and packages in recyclable packages, and client bags are 100% recycled paper. The
body shop discards animal-based product testing; they have its animal testing declaration. They
also requested all of their stakeholders to sign an affirmation of no animal testing on any
ingredients. Besides, the company addresses its social responsibility and stakeholders by
ensuring proper working conditions for its employees, basic human rights, giving fair wages,
supporting community trade and preventing injustice to small producers, participating in
sustainable development, etc. Also, the company reduces its environmental impacts by reducing
energy usage, using renewable power sources, building bio-degrades, using sustainable
packaging, using green ingredients, reducing environmental footprint, etc. By 2013, the body
shop completing their petition to the European Union toward banning the sale and import of
animal tested ingredients and products. Their campaign also resulted in the ban of products test
on animals in Germany and the Netherlands. The body shop is also the first business in raising
this campaign in Japan.

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Moreover, in 2017, the body shop made 3.8 million signatures in their campaign with Cruelty-
Free International and request the United Nations to ban animal testing in cosmetics worldwide
(The Body Shop 2017). The body shop also recognises for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(RSPCA), achieve a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award” by Royal Society, and it is the first
international cosmetics brand to be awarded the Humane Cosmetics Standard. It always ensures
that the ingredients are suitable for vegetarian and no harm to the animal. In 2004, its foundation
fundraising £20,000 to John Hopkins University (The Centre For Alternatives to Animal testing)
to support the finding of new testing methods to substitute animal testing. (Purkayasstha &
Fernando 2007)
Finally, philanthropic responsibility, the body shop minimises their waste by packing it a product
with the recyclable package and engage the society is responsible for the environment. They also
paid their employees a half day wage to perform the community service activities every week.
The consumer was also requested to take part in the activist team by signing the petitions based
on the field of environmental issues, animal and human rights. The body shop has fundraising
and contributes enormous portions of its income to charity and social causes. The body shop has
ever since been acting and is the voice of positively change (Carroll & Buchholtz 2014).
Core Concepts and Theories in CSR
Companies and business’ core mission is to make as many profits as possible for the owners and
creating value for the shareholders. In the process of maximising profits, many businesses will
exploit their environment and workers or deposit harmful byproducts unsafely in the
environment. Left on their own without regulations, businesses will use the lowest quality

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ingredients in their products; pay their employees the least or fail to pay; make employees work
in inhumane conditions; would spend the least in disposing of their by-products. However, some
companies and organisations realise the need for balancing the profit motive with serving and
living well with the community through comprehensive Corporate social responsibilities (CSR).
CSR is both a theory and a concept. First, the term refers to any theory of corporations that deals
with the behaviour of the businesses to engage in their profit maximisation processes ethically
without harming the workers or the community the business interacts with. Secondly, CSR refers
to the concept of serving the community while pursuing the profit motive (Frederiksen 2010).
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
As a theory, CSR deals with four main obligations: Economic responsibility, legal responsibility,
ethical responsibility, and Philanthropic responsibility. In the economic obligation, the
companies with CSR departments have to make profits otherwise they’ll close down. On its part,
the legal obligation encourages the firms to follow the rules and regulations laid down for the
industry. Also, businesses need to engage in good practices even when no authorities are
watching; a concept referred to as ethical obligation. Finally, in Philanthropic responsibility,
firms are expected to fund community projects even though the projects are not in their direct
line of operation. From its inception in 1987, The Body Shop set out to prove to the world that
businesses can serve a profit motive and still be a force for good in the world. It ensures that its
beauty products are manufactured ethically; suppliers (including small-scale suppliers) are well
paid; the workers are fairly compensated for their labour, and the company still turns a profit.
Also, the company gives financial and human support to advocacy programs aimed at ensuring a
safe and sustainable environment.

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The Triple Bottom Line
This theoretical concept dealing with the obligation of businesses to count their bottom line or
profitability regarding three issues: actual profits, effects on the society and effects on the
environment. The theory has some commonality with the CSR theory in the issue of actual
profits (a firm calculates its profitability regarding costs versus revenue) and on the issue of
effects on the business’ operations on the society. However, in the triple-bottom-line, there is an
addition of the issue of ensuring that the company operations are sustainable and does not harm
the environment. The conditions for the satisfaction of this theoretical concept include that the
tabulation of the three issues is done separately and that the three should be sustainable.
(Hussain, Rigoni, & Orij 2018). The Body Shop applies the Triple bottom-line theory in all its
operations from the sourcing of the products to the final consumption, ensuring that it takes care
of the three Ps in CSR: People Profit, Planet.
On the people’s side, The Body Shop ensures that it sources its materials in ethical companies
and pays them promptly. Also, the company supports fair trade by giving individuals and small
companies the opportunities to access the international market by engaging them as suppliers. In
the same vein, the company ensures a good working environment for all the employees. On the
planet side, the company protects the animals from inhumane treatment through anti-animal
testing campaigns. Further, it funds environmental activist and advocates to help conserve the
environment. On the profit front, the company ensures that it makes a healthy profit and thus
provides value for the investors through reduced expenditure and efficient and strategic
management and leadership processes.

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Stakeholder Theory
The theory has considerable similarities with the CRS theory, with the exception that instead
with starting at the business and later looking at the effects, the theory starts at the people who
might be affected by a business and its operations and looks at the legitimate claims that the can
hold against the firm. In other words, Stakeholder theory is based on the belief that any
individual or groups of people that affect or are affected by the business have the right and
obligation to direct its operations. For instance, if a business’ operations result in toxic wastes,
the people affected by the process, or by the disposal of the wastes are stakeholders in the
business and that they have a right in the decision-making processes of the firm even if they do
not hold the company’s share. The community affected have the right to be involved in the
making of decisions that end up producing and disposal of the products so that the safety of the
people can be guaranteed. Such a firm’s stakeholders include the owners, employees,
shareholders, anyone living in the neighbourhoods, suppliers, customers, the government, other
companies, and credit organisation among others. However, the critical/cardinal stakeholders are
the owners, workers, suppliers, customers and the community (Van Der Laan, Van Ees, & Van
Witteloostuijn 2008). For The Body Shop, the company ensures that all the stakeholder to the
company is well taken care of, including:
 Profits to company owners
 Favourable working conditions for the employees including commensurate pay
 Fair prices for the customers with excellent customer care coupled with the assurance of
goods produced using ethical means
 The company workers spend many hours volunteering in community projects
 Suppliers get fair prices for their products and are paid on time

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NGO’s Criticisms of The Body Shop
The Body Shop owner, Roddick, sold the business to L’Oréal, owner of the French company
Nestlé which started all manner of rumours and criticisms from NGOs advocating for non-testing
of animals during the production of cosmetics such as Naturewatch and Uncaged. The criticisms
stemmed from the fact that Nestlé is a company known for its less than favourable record of CSR
activities. The company even supports animal testing. The critics argued that Roddick was a sell
out as Nestle would use The Body Shop to clean the Company’s image. However, the Roddick
argued that by getting into a company with worldwide coverage, The Body Shop would be able
to access many more markets and suppliers in faraway areas such as Nicaragua and Ghana,
ensuring that they deal with the framers humanely. Roddick was right, and The Body Shop is
influencing Nestlé’s CSR policies leading to increased funding for anti-animal testing campaigns
including funding the research for alternative methods to animal testing (Jessica 2012).
Recommendations
The Body Shop is one of the exemplary organisations that not only talk the CSR talk but walk it,
too. The business integrates CSR activities in all its operations and even funds organisations
advocating for principles in line with the firm’s beliefs and practice. For instance, the company
ensures that it does not engage in animal testing in its production activities and also, it provides
financial support for organisations advocating for the banning of the said practices. The company
seems perfect at CSR activities, and the only recommendations that can be made for such an
organisation are to keep up the good work and continue serving as a role model in the field.

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Conclusion
Through their activities, they have indeed helped the society and also maximised the
stakeholder’s interest and profit. It sets the tone for the entire world to abide by the concept of
CSR and not neglect it in this ever-changing world. The body shop hits all the relevant CRS
points as it integrates the community and environmental considerations in all its activities aimed
at making a profit for the company. It not only ensures that its production and disposal processes
do not harm the people and the environment, but it also supports community organisations
engaged in activities that serve the social needs of the people.

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