Bodycare Revamps High Street Presence with New Store Format

The cosmetics retailer Bodycare has returned to the high street with a vengeance, launching a brand new "Studio Store" format that aims to drive product discovery and repeat visits.

Bodycare has opened two of its new stores so far, with sites based in Derby and Sheffield. The retailer was saved from administration by an investment group led by former The Body Shop CEO Charles Denton last October.

Creating a "Community Store"

The new Bodycare Studio format is designed to create a sense of community and relationship with customers. The stores feature in-store demonstration zones, feature screens, live broadcast studios, and creator spaces as part of a wider digital-first strategy.

Bodycare managing director David Stern explains that the company wanted to "create a community store" that would put the customer at the forefront of the retail experience. "Retail is supposed to be fun," he says. "You're supposed to be able to find what you want. You're supposed to be able to look forward to what you're finding."

An Emphasis on Content Creation

Bodycare's new store format places heavy emphasis on content creation and influencers. Its new "Live @ Bodycare" concept gives shoppers access to free creator spaces with lighting and kit for filming social media footage in stores.

Tying into this, Bodycare CMO Tash Courtenay-Smith also emphasises that there is "an incredible one-to-one dialog going on" between Bodycare's people, brand, customers, and community. "Lots of retailers will say they're in one to one comms with their community, and they're just not whereas Bodycare really is," she insists.

"Data and Technology is in Everything We Do"

As well as its focus on content creation, Bodycare's Studio Store format revolves heavily around AI. The company uses AI to digitise its stores and optimise its store layouts, store offerings, product assortments, and pricing by each location.

Bodycare said its funding was led by early-stage venture capital firm Arāya Ventures, alongside entrepreneur Dilesh Mehta and a syndicate of retail operators, technology specialists, and brand builders. Stern explains that the company uses AI to optimise the content it creates and frees up its tills and merchandising to put more staff on its shop floor.

Upcoming Store Launches

Although Bodycare has only opened two new stores so far, Stern flags Leicester and Bradford as being among its upcoming shop launches. "One of our mottos is serve the underserved," he says. "As we look at the map of Britain, we see community after community that we can come to and offer the same sort of value that we have described for the local community influencers and for the customers."

The company plans to expand to 15 new sites by the end of 2026 and over 150 locations across the UK in the next five years.