The Body Shop in Norwich stays open after shock closures

Seven stores were closed with immediate effect yesterday as The Body Shop undergoes a restructuring which could see nearly half of its 198 UK stores close.

Administrators for the retail chain also said they will be cutting about 40% of head office roles, which amounts to around 270 jobs.

The Norwich store has reassured customers and staff amid uncertainty in the rest of the UK (Image: Ollie Radcliffe)

However, bosses of the Norwich city centre Body Shop have reassured customers and staff that it will stay open.

A sign on its door says: "We are committed to our staff and we fully intend to remain open, serving our customers for years to come."

The Norwich store has been a family-owned franchise since 1981.

The Caste Street outlet is one of only a handful of Body Shops that are operated this way so will keep its doors open.

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James Bercovici, who owns the Norwich franchise, previously said: "As franchisees we're not part of this, if the Body Shop is closing down stores to save cost on rent. We deal with that ourselves.

"We'll definitely be staying open. Our understanding is the Body Shop brand will keep going and continue to supply our shops with their products.

The Norwich body shop will continue to operate as usual (Image: Ollie Radcliffe)

"We expect to continue as the Body Shop with nothing changing as far as Norwich is concerned."

READ MORE: The Body Shop in Castle Street, Norwich, set to remain open

A spokesman for The Body Shop 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."

The seven stores closed include four in London and one in Warwickshire, Kent and Bristol.

The Body Shop's only other Norfolk store, in King's Lynn, has been cast into uncertainty with no news on its future.