The iconic British beauty brand said the latest developments in the UK will not have an impact on its global franchise partners, including Malaysia.

The Body Shop, founded by the late Dame Anita Roddick in 1976, has been put under administration, potentially jeopardising up to 2,000 jobs in its British operations.

The collapse of the brand came barely three months after it was taken over by German private equity firm Aurelius, sending ripples through its global market and prompting concerns about the future of the brand.

Aurelius had paid £207 million (RM1.23 billion) for The Body Shop in November last year.

InNature Bhd is the franchise holder of The Body Shop brand in Malaysia, and it operates all of its outlets in the peninsula.

The Body Shop’s global team assured FMT Business yesterday that the administration process is confined solely to its UK arm.

The Body Shop in Malaysia is a head franchise market, and is therefore not affected by events in the UK, the team pointed out.

It said the joint administrator will continue to operate the business in the UK, ensuring that customers will be able to continue to shop in-store and online for their favourite products.

“The Body Shop remains guided by its ambition to be a modern, dynamic beauty brand, relevant to customers and able to compete for the long term,” the team said.

“Creating a more nimble and financially stable UK business is an important step in achieving this,” it added.

The BBC reported on Tuesday that The Body Shop retail outlets in the UK will remain open while efforts are in motion to save the company.

An administration is a form of creditor protection that can lead to a sale of the business, the closure of some stores and redundancies.