The Body Shop (L’Oréal group) has acquired 51% of Brazilian company Emporio Body Store, with the option of increasing its shareholding to 80% by 2019.

Founded in 1997 in Porto Alegre by Tobias Chanan, Emporio Body Store offers a complete range of beauty products sold through a franchise network. Over the past three years, it has been the Brazilian brand that stood out in the cosmetics segment with a significant growth reaching at the end of the year an estimated 130 points of sales, compared to 36 in 2010, in 58 cities in Brazil. “Visual merchandising is one of the main differences of the brand. Within the atmosphere of an emporium, all products tell stories that represent the origin of the ingredients and the concept of each line, and the possibility to customize gifts at purchase,L’Oréal explains.

Emporio Body Store achieved in 2012 a consolidated turnover of 20 million Reals (approximately 7 million euros).

Tobias Chanan will remain CEO of the company with the objective to expand the business through the franchise channel. Furthermore, Emporio Body Store will propose a wider range of products, including some of The Body Shop’s most popular products, complemented by new products developed locally with L’Oréal’s Research Centre in Rio de Janeiro, in accordance to The Body Shop’s strict requirements and values.

The acquisition is subject to the approval of the Brazilian Anti-Trust Authority CADE, and should be completed before the end of the year.