THE manager of Kendal's business improvement district has made a case for the town's Body Shop as the company goes into administration. 

The Body Shop in the Westmorland Shopping Centre is one of only two in Cumbria.

The company fell into administration on Tuesday February 13 amid a 'difficult trading environment.' 

It will continue to trade as normal during the administration process.

READ MORE: Kendal BID asks locals to support businesses as shops shut

Kendal BID manager Peter Brendling said: "There's a lot of people who use the Kendal store. It's in a prime location within Westmorland Shopping Centre."

Mr Brendling said that the store was helped by the footfall of people coming from the multi-storey car park into town. 

Mr Brendling said that it was important for a town to have a 'mix' of high-street chains and independent stores.

He said: "People want to purchase locally but they also like to purchase from the well-known brands and chains. It encourages people to come into town and visit some of the more local businesses as well.

"From a local perspective, we would much miss Body Shop being there because it brings a lot to the town centre."

FRP Advisory will assess offers for different parts of the company to find the best options to save jobs and shops but ultimately will need to ensure as much money is recouped as possible to return to creditors. 

A spokesperson from FRP said: "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.

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

“The Body Shop has faced an extended period of financial challenges under past owners, coinciding with a difficult trading environment for the wider retail sector.”

The business had 215 UK stores at the end of last year and employed thousands of workers, many of whom could lose their jobs depending on how the process pans out.   

The former Barrow shop on Portland Walk, which was the only other store in south Cumbria, closed in January 2022 after the company took the decision not to renew the lease.