The Body Shop retailer shops have a competitive advantage by being the only shops that sell quality natural-based products which respect the planet. The Body Shop has clearly a strong brand and socially active image that customers recognize and identify with. These strengths will help the company to better penetrate and win a share in the US cosmetic market, as its competitors do not profit from these advantages.
Even though the US society is still not environmentally conscious, the social implication of the Body Shop if community trading and development will help it gain the interest of many customers.
Moreover, the Body Shop marketing strategy has been mainly based on public relations and words of mouth viral communication, relying less on advertising. This has been a strength in the European market but does not seem to be one in the US market as the US consumer relies more on advertising to be directed in his purchases.
In addition, Roddick's strong and charismatic persona has always made sure to engage, educate and motivate employees through a good reward system and a bottom up communication freedom. This strength should be pursued in order to better control any dilution of the company's mission with the expansion of its shops.
Finally, Body Shop will have to improve its advertising and marketing strategy and expertise to better overcome the regulations and constraints of the US legal system.
It will also be a good strategy to make less political statements and work on social development with a low profile in order to gain more