Anita Roddick: Biography Of The Body Shop Entrepreneur

In terms of the most powerful women in the retail industry over the past twenty years or so, Anita Roddick is one entrepreneur that has to rank up there with the best of them. The founder of The Body Shop revolutionized the way that consumers viewed the cosmetics and body care products that they bought and has made the world a better place as a direct result of it. Anita Roddick was one of the most forward thinking women of her generation and made a name for herself as a result of that quality. Although her life was sadly cut short on September 10, 2007, her legacy will live on.

Humble Beginnings

Roddick, or Anita Lucia Perilli as she was known then, was born on October 23, 1942 in Littlehampton, Sussex in the UK. Her family were Italian immigrants and had left Naples shortly before World War II broke out. As such, they had little money and worked hard to make ends meet. However, the entrepreneur showed a thirst for knowledge at school and managed to achieve a place at Bath Spa University to train as a teacher. After graduation though, Roddick decided that she wanted to see the world rather than remaining in the UK.

The entrepreneur traveled far and wide for a few years before returning home, which is when she met her husband, Gordon Roddick. Roddick had money and set about building a business empire to help support his new family. The couple opened a hotel and a restaurant but Gordon often had to work away a lot, so the budding entrepreneur decided to open her own business in order to make enough money to support the family in his absence. The Body Shop was born.

The Body Shop

The Body Shop initially stocked 15 products and opened in Brighton in 1976.