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<DIV><FONT face="Arial Narrow">In the news lately is that the Body Shop is being
bought by L'Oreal</FONT></DIV>
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href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/03/18/nroddick18.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/03/18/ixnewstop.html">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh<WBR>tml?xml=/news/2006/03/18/nroddick18.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/03/18/ixnewstop.html</A><BR><BR><A
href="http://news.google.ca/news?hl=en&ned=ca&q=body+shop">http://news.google.ca/news?hl=en&ned=ca&q=body+shop</A>
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<P class=story>However, the deal triggered a furious reaction from animal rights
campaigners angry at L'Oréal's record on animal experimentation.</P>
<P class=story>In a move that would have been unthinkable a few years ago, they
urged shoppers to boycott The Body Shop on ethical grounds.</P>
<P class=story>Dame Anita, who is famed as much for her strident political
campaigning as for her business acumen, insisted that she was not "selling out".
She argued that the £652 million sale of the chain was a chance to strike a
fairer deal for the world's poor.</P>
<P class=story>"The most exciting thing about this is that L'Oréal is asking us
to teach it about community trade, which is the best poverty eradicator in the
world," she said.</P>
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<P class=story>Under the deal with L'Oréal, Dame Anita will stay on as a
consultant to advise on community trade and will advise The Body Shop, which
will be run as a separate entity. </P>
<P class=story>"The assumption that I am sitting next to the enemy is wrong,"
she said. "There is something wonderful when your battlefield enemies become
bedfellows."</P>
<P class=story>However, supporters of her campaigns on fairer trade and green
issues were dismayed. The Ethical Consumer magazine urged shoppers to boycott
The Body Shop if the deal gets the backing of shareholders. "It's ironic that a
company well known for its anti-animal testing stance should sell out to one
that tests on animals and which has yet to show its commitment to any ethical
issues at all," said Ruth Rosselson, for the magazine.</P>
<P class=story>Ian Ruane, of the animal welfare group Naturewatch, also called
for a boycott. "We encourage all consumers to use their purchasing power to send
a very clear message to The Body Shop and L'Oréal." </P></DIV></BODY></HTML>