The Body Shop store in High Wycombe could be at risk of closure following news that the beauty brand is planning to shut almost half of its branches across the UK.

The Body Shop has become the latest retail giant to announce a wave of store closures across the UK, putting its presence in the Eden Shopping Centre in High Wycombe in a precarious position.

It was reported today that the Body Shop group is planning to shut nearly half of its 198 UK branches after falling into administration.  

Seven stores, including in Oxford Street and Canary Wharf in London, will close their doors today (February 20) and tens of others will continue to trade pending further updates from insolvency experts.

Hundreds of workers are expected to face redundancy as a result of the closures.

Administrators from FRP Advisory said: “After years of unprofitability and following a full evaluation of The Body Shop’s UK business, the joint administrators have concluded that the current store portfolio mix is no longer viable.

“This swift action will help re-energise The Body Shop’s iconic brand and provide it with the best platform to achieve its ambition to be a modern, dynamic beauty brand that can return to profitability and compete for the long-term.”

READ MORE: The shops people want to see in the Eden Shopping Centre

The beauty retailer was founded by Anita Roddick and her husband Gordon in 1976 and was acquired by European private equity firm Aurelius last November.

If The Body Shop did leave the Eden Shopping Centre, it would be just the latest in a series of retailer departures from the complex, with Zara closing its doors last month and the independent toy shop Toys UK shutting at the beginning of February.

Despite a growing number of vacant units in Eden, Shopping Centre Director Andrew Norton told the Free Press that nine new retailers and leisure operators were lined up to arrive later this year – even launching a competition encouraging residents to guess what Zara’s replacement might be.

 Mr Norton added: “Our current vacancy rate is just 5.7 per cent, compared to a national shopping centre vacancy rate of just under 20 per cent, which demonstrates that Eden is performing exceptionally well. 2024 is certainly looking bright.”