 The Body Shop's takeover has come under fire |
The Body Shop's image has suffered since it was bought by French cosmetics giant L'Oreal, a survey has suggested. According to a BrandIndex rating by YouGov, the company's "buzz" rating as well as "satisfaction" level has fallen significantly since the acquisition.
Body Shop was bought for �652m ($1.14bn) by L'Oreal in March.
When the deal was struck, founder Dame Anita Riddick rejected claims that Body Shop, known for its ethically-sourced goods, was joining with "the enemy".
The Body Shop is publicly opposed to animal testing.
L'Oreal meanwhile says it has not been involved in animal testing since 1989, but certain ingredients used in its products have been for safety reasons.
The deal has also come under fire because L'Oreal is 26.4%-owned by Nestle, which has been criticised for its marketing of powdered baby milk in developing countries.
At the time of the deal, Dame Anita argued that the sale was a chance to achieve a fairer deal for the world's poor as L'Oreal was interested in Body Shop teaching it about community trade.
The poll results found that the Body Shop's "buzz rating" had fallen 10 points to -4 since the start of March, while "satisfaction" rating levels declined from 25 points to 14.
Body Shop, which operates 2,000 shops in 54 countries, will continue to be based in and run independently from its head office in Littlehampton, West Sussex.
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