Roddick, Anita (1942-2007), a British business executive, founded the Body Shop International chain of retail outlets. The stores sell environmentally friendly cosmetics, shampoos, bath preparations, lotions, and creams. Under Roddick’s leadership, Body Shop International became one of the most successful businesses of its kind.
Anita Lucia Perella was born on Oct. 23, 1942, in Littlehampton, near Brighton and Hove, England. She qualified as a teacher and taught briefly in England. In 1962, she visited an Israeli kibbutz (collective community). In the 1960’s, she worked for the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, Switzerland, and traveled extensively. She visited Greece, the Pacific Islands, Australia, Réunion, Mauritius, Madagascar, and South Africa. During her travels, she spent time with local women, learning about their use of herbs, oils, and other naturally occurring materials for cleansing the skin. In 1970, she married Gordon Roddick, a Scottish poet, who shared her interests in travel and the natural world.
In 1976, the Roddicks founded Body Shop International in Brighton, selling 15 skincare products from body scrubs to bath salts. The business reflected Roddick’s strong environmental concerns, developing products made from natural renewable sources and supplying refills for its biodegradable and recyclable containers. The company was one of the first in the United Kingdom to provide child-care facilities for employees.
The business grew rapidly. Eight years later, it became a public company quoted on the stock exchange. Anita Roddick was managing director until 1994, when she became the company’s chief executive. She became cochairman with her husband in 1998 and served in that role until 2002. Body Shop International operates stores in dozens of countries. The Roddicks sold the Body Shop to the French cosmetics giant L’Oréal in 2006.
Through her business interests, Roddick supported the work of ecological organizations and funded various charitable projects. She lectured on environmental and social issues and campaigned for an end to testing on animals. In 1989, Roddick received the UN Environmental Award. Her autobiography, Body and Soul, was published in 1991. In 2003, Queen Elizabeth II made Anita Roddick a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Dame Anita died on Sept. 10, 2007.
