The Body Shop has opened its newest store at DLF Summit in Gurugram, expanding the British-born ethical beauty brand’s retail footprint in North India. The new store is positioned as a community-focused beauty destination, bringing the brand’s skincare, body care, haircare, fragrance and gifting portfolio closer to consumers.
The opening comes as The Body Shop continues to evolve its physical retail strategy in India, combining its long-standing ethical beauty positioning with more experiential and locally relevant store formats.
The brand announced the new Gurugram store through its India business, describing it as a new self-care destination at DLF Summit, with its portfolio spanning iconic body butters, skincare, fragrance, haircare and gifting.
The Body Shop Opens at DLF Summit, Gurugram
The new The Body Shop DLF Summit store in Gurugram adds another physical touchpoint for the brand in a market that is already an important part of its Indian operations.
The Body Shop India is headquartered in Gurgaon, and the brand already operates multiple stores across Gurugram, including locations at DLF Cyber Hub, Galleria Market, Ambience Island, Ardee Mall, Sapphire 83 and Worldmark Mall.
The DLF Summit opening therefore strengthens the brand’s presence in an established retail market rather than representing a first entry into the city.
For The Body Shop, the expansion is also about more than adding another store. It reflects the company’s effort to make its ethical beauty proposition more visible through physical spaces where consumers can discover products, engage with the brand and experience its values.
From Beauty Store to Community-First Retail Experience
The Body Shop has historically differentiated itself from conventional beauty retailers through its emphasis on ethics, activism and community.
Its Indian retail strategy has increasingly incorporated these principles into store design.
The company has previously introduced Workshop stores designed around local culture, craftsmanship and community-led beauty. In 2024, The Body Shop highlighted murals and locally inspired designs across stores in cities including Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, following Workshop concepts in Chandigarh, Indore, Kochi, Ahmedabad and New Delhi.
The strategy represents a broader shift in physical retail.
Instead of treating a store simply as a place to display products, brands are increasingly using stores as brand experience centres.
For The Body Shop, that means connecting its retail environment with its larger purpose around people, communities, sustainability and ethical beauty.
What Consumers Can Find at The Body Shop DLF Summit
The new store brings several of The Body Shop’s established beauty categories under one roof.
These include:
- Skincare
- Body care
- Haircare
- Fragrance
- Makeup
- Beauty gifting
- Everyday self-care products
The brand’s India store listings describe its offering as naturally inspired beauty and skincare, with products across skincare, body care, haircare, makeup and fragrances.
The store format also provides an opportunity for consumers to explore products in person and receive assistance from beauty advisors, an experience that remains important in categories where product discovery, fragrance and texture can influence purchasing decisions.
The Body Shop’s Ethical Beauty Heritage
The DLF Summit expansion is particularly relevant because The Body Shop’s retail identity has always been closely linked with its ethical positioning.
Founded by Anita Roddick in 1976, The Body Shop became known for challenging conventional beauty industry practices and linking commercial activity with social and environmental causes.
The company says it pioneered its Community Fair Trade programme in 1987, creating long-term relationships with producers, farmers and artisans while supporting market access and community development.
The brand also identifies its opposition to animal testing as a central part of its heritage. The Body Shop India says it began campaigning against animal testing in cosmetics in 1989.
Its current brand philosophy continues to emphasise what it calls “Changemaking Beauty”, combining beauty products with a wider focus on people, communities and the planet.
Community Fair Trade Remains Central to the Brand
One of the strongest elements of The Body Shop’s ethical positioning is its Community Fair Trade programme.
According to the company, the programme works with producer groups across different countries and provides market access, fair pricing and support for community initiatives.
The Body Shop also highlights its use of Community Trade recycled plastic from Bengaluru, India, as part of efforts to support waste pickers through improved working conditions, fair pricing and recognition.
This provides an important context for the brand’s retail expansion.
The new DLF Summit store is not simply an additional distribution point. It gives The Body Shop another physical environment through which it can communicate its purpose-led approach to consumers.
The Body Shop’s Expanding Retail Strategy in India
The Gurugram store comes as The Body Shop continues to expand its Indian retail network.
The company’s India careers platform describes an expanding business with 100+ stores, covering standalone stores, boutiques, shop-in-shops, travel retail and e-commerce.
The Body Shop India has also previously outlined an ambition to double its store count over five years, while maintaining its focus on ethics and community.
That makes new store launches an important part of the brand’s broader Indian growth strategy.
Rather than relying solely on digital channels, The Body Shop is continuing to invest in physical retail at a time when consumers increasingly expect stores to offer discovery, advice and experiences alongside transactions.
Why The Body Shop’s Gurugram Expansion Matters
Gurugram is one of India’s most important corporate, consumption and organised retail markets.
For international beauty brands, the city offers access to consumers who are highly exposed to global beauty trends and increasingly interested in premium skincare, personal care and lifestyle products.
The Body Shop’s decision to strengthen its presence in Gurugram therefore fits naturally within its wider North India retail strategy.
The DLF Summit location also allows the brand to reach consumers through a modern retail environment while maintaining the community-oriented approach that it has been bringing into its newer Workshop store formats.
Purpose-Led Retail Is Becoming More Important
The Body Shop’s latest opening also highlights an important change taking place in beauty retail.
Consumers are no longer evaluating beauty brands only on product performance and price.
Brand values, ingredient sourcing, sustainability, cruelty-free positioning, transparency and social impact are increasingly becoming part of the conversation.
This creates an opportunity for brands with an established purpose to translate those values into physical retail.
The Body Shop’s approach is particularly relevant because its ethical positioning has existed for decades rather than being introduced as a recent marketing trend.
Its stores can therefore become a physical expression of a much larger brand story.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where has The Body Shop opened its new store in Gurugram?
The Body Shop has opened its latest store at DLF Summit, Gurugram. The brand announced the location as its new self-care destination in Gurgaon.
What products does The Body Shop sell?
The Body Shop offers products across skincare, body care, haircare, fragrance, makeup and gifting.
Is The Body Shop expanding in India?
Yes. The Body Shop India describes its business as an expanding retail operation with more than 100 stores, alongside e-commerce, travel retail and shop-in-shop formats.
What makes The Body Shop different from other beauty brands?
The Body Shop has built its identity around ethical beauty, cruelty-free practices, Community Fair Trade, sustainability and activism. The company says its Community Fair Trade programme has been running since 1987.
What is The Body Shop’s Community Fair Trade programme?
Community Fair Trade is The Body Shop’s ethical sourcing programme, through which the company works with producers, farmers and artisans while supporting fair pricing, market access and community initiatives.
Does The Body Shop have other stores in Gurugram?
Yes. The brand’s official store locator lists several existing Gurugram locations, including DLF Cyber Hub, Galleria Market, Ardee Mall, Sapphire 83, Ambience Island and Worldmark Mall.