Dame Anita Roddick (born October 23, 1942) is the founder of The Body Shop, a cosmetics company dedicated to producing and retailing ethical products. She founded the business in her birthplace of Littlehampton, UK, in 1976.
Roddick is known for her campaigning work on environmental issues. She is a member of the Demos think tank's advisory council.
She was born to an Italian immigrant family. Her mother ran a cafe, and was in the habit of recycling. After leaving school, Anita trained as a teacher and travelled widely before her mother introduced her to Gordon Roddick, whom she married in 1970. The couple opened a restaurant, followed by a hotel. By the time they married, they already had one child and were expecting another.
Anita Roddick opened the first Body Shop with the aim of making an income for herself and her two daughters, while her husband was away in America. Her idea was to exploit some of the ideas she had formed while travelling around the world. She opened her second shop six months later. On Gordon's return, he joined the business.
By 2004, the Body Shop had 1980 stores, serving over 77 million customers throughout the world. The Body Shop was voted the second most trusted brand in the UK and 28th top brand in the world. In 2003, Roddick was created a DBE by the Queen.
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