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The Body Shop at Vancouver's CF Pacific Centre showcases the brand's values-based business model.

In addition to long-time customer favourites such as its hemp hand cream and satsuma body wash, the Body Shop has a reputation for its values-based business model, and its new Vancouver store showcases those beliefs. The first of its kind in Canada, this concept space is centred on the promotion of activism. “It’s really motivated around a needed philosophy that business should be a force for good,” says Hilary Lloyd, vice-president of marketing and corporate responsibility at the Body Shop.

To reduce its environmental footprint, the store design uses materials including reclaimed wood, recycled plastics and zinc façade cladding, a material that requires less energy to produce than other metals. The store is also equipped with shower gel and water bottle refill stations. “It’s another really nice step toward sustainability and being really mindful around plastic use in our stores,” Lloyd says.

An activism corner highlights opportunities for real-world participation to shoppers including information on the Body Shop’s roots as well as details on how to get involved in campaigns for issues such as gender equality and animal rights. “We’ll update that activism space with frequency depending on the issues that are important to us at the time and issues that matter,” says Lloyd, adding that their in-store staff members play a critical role in raising awareness. “Our store teams see themselves as activists and feminists and so they will be doing outreach at a local level, campaigning and engaging community on issues that progress social equality.”

The Body Shop, CF Pacific Centre, 701 W. Georgia St., Vancouver, thebodyshop.ca.

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The Body Shop Hemp Hardworking Hand Protector, $21.

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The Body Shop Bath Blend, $12.

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The Body Shop French Lavender Pillow Spray, $18.

Style news

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