Body Shop founder dies

LONDON – Tributes flooded yesterday for Anita Roddick, the British founder of The Body Shop cosmetics chain and ‘capitalist with a conscience’ who has died at the age of 64 after a major brain haemorrhage.

Roddick died in hospital in Chichester, southern England, Monday night with her husband Gordon and two daughters by her side after collapsing with a sudden headache, her family said in a statement. She announced in February that she had contracted Hepatitis C through a blood transfusion during the birth of her youngest daughter in 1971.Roddick is best known as the driving force behind The Body Shop, a highly successful international chain of shops set up in 1976 which sold simple, ethical and environmentally-friendly beauty products.The shop was also an early pioneer of recycling – customers were encouraged to bring empty containers back to the store for refills after buying the products.The Body Shop, which has over 2 000 stores in more than 50 countries, was bought by French cosmetics chain L’Oreal last year for US$1,3 billion dollars.Nampa-AFPShe announced in February that she had contracted Hepatitis C through a blood transfusion during the birth of her youngest daughter in 1971.Roddick is best known as the driving force behind The Body Shop, a highly successful international chain of shops set up in 1976 which sold simple, ethical and environmentally-friendly beauty products.The shop was also an early pioneer of recycling – customers were encouraged to bring empty containers back to the store for refills after buying the products.The Body Shop, which has over 2 000 stores in more than 50 countries, was bought by French cosmetics chain L’Oreal last year for US$1,3 billion dollars.Nampa-AFP