The Body Shop is set to close 75 stores within weeks, with Macclesfield's Mill Street store is one of them.

The joint administrators of The Body Shop International Limited, Tony Wright, Geoff Rowley, and Alastair Massey, have today confirmed that 116 of The Body Shop stores across the UK will remain open.

Further to the announcement by the Joint Administrators on 20 February 2024 indicating plans to retain more than half of current stores and the closure of seven stores, a further 75 stores will now close in a phased process over the next four-to-six weeks. 

Macclesfield's precise closing date within that period is not yet known.

In a statement, the joint administrators told Nub News: "As previously indicated, a reduced store footprint will coincide with a renewed focus on the brand's products, online sales channels and wholesale strategies, bringing the brand in line with industry peers and supporting a return to financial stability."

Tony Wright, joint administrator, said: "In taking swift action to right-size The Body Shop UK store portfolio, we have stabilised the business and are providing the best opportunity for this iconic brand to have a long-term, sustainable future.

"The UK business continues to trade in administration, and we remain fully focused on exploring all options to take the business forward." 

As a result of the store closures, 489 staff will regrettably be made redundant over the next 4-6 weeks as individual stores are closed.

The Joint Administrators will support all impacted staff with claims to the Redundancy Payments Service, including those from Macclesfield.