Case study: The Body Shop
1. How do you think Body Shop’s environmental policy relates to its overall business strategy?
The environment policy results in a highly differentiated operation of every part of the Body Shop business:
Highly differentiated company image: An environmental and social friendly image is maintained across its product lines. It brings out the message that healthy and beauty is enhanced through the use of natural ingredients (The Body Shop Intl. plc., 2008).
Highly differentiated products: Every aspect of product design in Body Shop needs to consider the environmental issue: Ingredients need to be naturally and responsibly sourced.
Highly differentiated packaging: Its products are presented in simple and economic packaging. Detailed information leaflets are missing and utilisation of customer service is encouraged.
Highly differentiated purchasing: The Body Shop rejects traditional business operation that exploits the weak and natural environment. It guarantees a fair profit for its suppliers and assesses their responsibility towards environmental protection (The Body Shop Intl. plc., 2008).
Highly differentiated franchising: To sharpen the ‘green image’ of the company it only sells its products within its own franchised stores (Grant 2004). Franchisees are selected on the basis of their enthusiasm and commitment towards the Body Shop’s values.
Highly differentiated marketing strategies: Its advertisements and promotions are nice and clear: the function of the product and how it promotes the green message. There is little allure of beauty, youth and sexual attractiveness (Grant 2004).
Highly differentiated Research & Development plan: It has a strong commitment towards natural product research and animal testing is prohibited in its business (The Body Shop Intl. plc., 2008).
Green corporate responsibilities: By running a business with keen commitment to the environment the
Bibliography: Grant, R. M., 2004. Contemporary Strategy Analysis. 5th ed.: WileyBlackwell. OPPapers, 2008. Body Shop International - SWOT analysis, [Online]. Available at: http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Body-Shop-International---Swot-Analysis/102162 [accessed 3 November 2008] Robbins, P. T., 2001. Greening the Corporation. 1th ed.: Earthscan Ltd. Rowbotham, F., Galloway, L. & Azhashemi, M., 2006. Operations Managmenet in Context. 2th ed.: Butterworth-Heinemann. Shooter, B., 2008. Case study handout, Lecture notes. The Body Shop Intl. plc., 2008. The Body Shop | values & campaigns, [Online]. Available at: http://www.thebodyshop.com/_en/_ww/values-campaigns/index.aspx [accessed 4 November 2008]