Irish arm of The Body Shop safe from UK administration woes but uncertainty amongst staff remains 

It is understood that Irish Body Shop staff are still awaiting confirmation on who the new buyers are, and what impact they will have on its operations 

The Body Shop has seven stores in Ireland and employs around 50 staff members here 

The new European private equity owners of skincare and cosmetics retailer, the Body Shop are set to appoint administrators for its UK business following the sale of its Irish operations to another buyer. 

Pan-European investor Aurelius, which owns Footasylum and Lloyds Pharmacy, bought the skincare brand just six weeks before Christmas in a deal worth £207m (€243m). 

In late January, however, Aurelius announced that it had sold most of its business in mainland Europe and parts of Asia to an "international family office" with staff in Ireland still awaiting confirmation of who the new buyer is. 

The Irish Examiner understands however that the Irish arm of the Body Shop will not be impacted by the appointment of administrators to the UK business. 

Employing around 50 staff members, The Body Shop has seven stores in Ireland, five of which have leases signed by The Body Shop International Ltd, according to most recent account filings, with the remaining two part of franchise agreements.

Last year, the Irish arm of the cosmetic chain reported a pre-tax loss of €1.6m which it said was primarily driven by the impairment loss on intangible assets of €1.56m.

The Irish Examiner reported last month that workers here had received communication informing them of changes to the company as it transitioned to new ownership. 

It is understood that Irish Body Shop staff are still awaiting confirmation on who the new buyers are, and what impact they will have on the future of the retailer's Irish operations. 

In its UK business, however, administrators at FRP Advisory are likely to be appointed as soon as this week to handle an insolvency process, Sky News reported, awaiting sources who said they expected the closure of a significant number of the stores.

Known for its ethical approach to cosmetics and skincare, the Body Shop was founded in the 1976 by activist and campaigner, Anita Roddick and remained under her ownership for three decades until she sold it in 2006. 

Roddick’s decision to sell the business to the French corporation L’Oréal for £652m attracted criticism from those who saw it as a departure from the company’s values.