The Body Shop opens its first Activist Workshop store in Indore; its 3rd store in the city

The new store features intricate GOND ART depicting local women picking mangoes that the brand sources sustainably through its Community Fair Trade programme.

Indore: The Body Shop, a Britain-born international ethical beauty brand, has inaugurated its first Activist Workshop store in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The fully interactive store, The BodyShop’s third in the city, is located in the famous Citadel Mall, one of the biggest retail infrastructures in Indore. Known worldwide for being a pioneer and a changemaker in the beauty industry for over 45 years, The Body Shop has ensured that the recently launched store reflects one of its most significant concepts through the unique Gond art form – its Community Fair Trade programme.

In sync with the brand’s activist DNA, the first-of-its-kind store in Indore showcases intricate Gond artwork depicting mangroves from which local women are picking mangoes that The Body Shop sources sustainably from Manorama Industries, Chattisgarh, through its bespoke Community Fair Trade programme. Designed by promising Gond artist Raman Singh Vyam from Patangarh, Dindori, Madhya Pradesh, the new store features this famous folk art of the Gond Community of Central India, Blended with the Gond culture, the art is vibrant, colorful, and use articulately drawn lines and dots to bring a story to life. With a variety of motifs, Gond art draws inspiration from nature, the Gond community, and life in general. In sync with the brand’s activist DNA, the first-of-its-kind store in Indore showcases how local women hand-pick mangoes, peel them and crack the seeds before sending them to a production facility to extract the nourishing mango seed oil. The store, which is an experiential space, allows The Body Shop’s customers to explore and discover how they can be a part of its changemaking concept, creating a positive impact on local communities and the environment. Here are some of the other features that make the store unique.

The RRR concept

With sustainability being at the heart of its brand identity, The Body Shop is on a quest to ensure that the plastic used is recycled and repurposed to minimise plastic waste generation. Following the RRR (Return, Recycle, Repeat) concept, the new Activist Workshop store will allow customers to easily recycle the packaging of any of The Body Shop’s personal care products, including tubs, tubes, bottles, and pots. When customers drop the empty containers into the recycling bin, the brand’s local partners repurpose them to ensure there is little to no waste generated. Doing your bit for the environment can be as simple as that!

Sustainable store fixtures

Returning to its roots and upholding its identity of being ethical and eco-friendly, The Body Shop has outfitted its Activist Workshop store with sustainable store fixtures made from reclaimed wood and recycled plastics. Besides this, the store also features worktop surfaces that are made out of 100% recycled materials that will otherwise end up in landfills or in our oceans.

Activism hub

Staying true to its activist spirit, The Body Shop’s newest Indore store has an activism hub where customers can learn more about the brand’s activism and join the changemaker to campaign for various social issues, from gender equality to sustainability and banning animal testing. The store will have experts to guide customers and help them understand how they can be involved in building a cleaner, fairer world.

The bestseller bay

The Body Shop has several products that are incredibly popular among consumers, making them bestsellers. These head-to-toe TLC providers often feature products formulated with potent ingredients sourced through the brand’s Community Fair Trade programme, including Tea Tree, Aloe Vera, Hemp, Seaweed, Edelweiss, etc. To allow customers to gain a better understanding of what their skin and hair require, The Body Shop’s qualified staff offer on-hand demonstrations.

Gifting station

Gift-giving has become a norm – birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and festivals, all call for gifting things to your loved ones. To help customers create the perfect self-care gift for their friends and family, The Body Shop’s latest store features a gifting station. Customers can put on their creative hats and personalise the gifts with stickers, ribbons, and recyclable paper.

The activist team

Besides experts offering guidance on the brand’s activism, The Body Shop’s store has knowledgeable teams to help customers with products, offering expert advice and even personalised makeovers and experiential demonstrations. They will also engage in explaining the brand’s campaigns for social and environmental justice in its mission to create a better, greener world.

Harmeet Singh -Vice President, Marketing E-Commerce and Product, Asia South at The Body Shop India said, “We are thrilled to announce the launch of our newest Activist Workshop store in Indore, which features stunning Gond art that reflects one of our pillars – the Community Fair Trade programme. The Body Shop has always remained committed to ensuring fairness in society and for the planet, advocating for change, especially for women, and empowering them to lead better lives. Our Activist Workshop store is based on our unique vision and our identity as a changemaking brand. Indore is one of our primary markets, and we want to encourage customers to join us in embracing inclusion, advocating for women’s empowerment, and of course, sustainable practices.”With a total of over 200 stores, The Body Shop has 20+ Activist Workshop stores across India, focused on bringing systemic change and sustainability.