“You don't necessarily have to be charismatic...:” An interview with Anita Roddick and reflections on charismatic processes in The Body Shop International

Abstract

In 1976, Anita Roddick opened a small shop in Brighton, England to sell 15 naturally based skin and hair care products. These products grew out of previous travels where she observed how women in other cultures cared for their bodies without buying a single cosmetic. The Body Shop was conceived out of pragmatism and irritation. Gordon Roddick, Anita’s husband, was leaving for two years to travel by horseback from Buenos Aires to New York; Anita needed enough income to take care of herself and two small daughters during his absence. The irritation grew out of her inability to buy cosmetics in small amounts without excessive packaging and false claims of dramatic transformation. Gordon made it as far as Bolivia, but returned to England in 1977 when one of his horses died. There he found two Body Shops operating successfully, and a niche for himself bottling, labeling, and delivering supplies to both shops, as well as managing the operational side of the business. In 1978, Gordon put together the first franchise agreements, which turned out to be the key to The Body Shop’s rapid expansion. In 1984, Anita and Gordon launched The Body Shop as a public company on the London Stock Exchange, where it was valued at 8 million pounds. It was at this point of financial security that Anita and Gordon made a decision that The Body Shop