biological father was the cousin of her mother’s husband. After finishing
university, Anita taught briefly at a secondary school. She soon quit, however, and
traveled to places such as Australia, South Africa, and Tahiti. In 1970, she married
a poet named Gordon Roddick. The couple opened a restaurant and then a hotel.
They had two daughters together, Justine and Samantha.
In 1976, Gordon wanted to fulfill a dream. He was going to ride a horse
from South America to North America. Anita needed money while he was away.
So, in 1976, she opened a small cosmetics store called The Body Shop. Her first
store offered only fifteen products. In time, this number would grow to more
than 300. Roddick used ideas she had learned of in her travels, such as selling
products made from all-natural ingredients. Most cosmetics were tested on
animals, and some animals were killed to produce beauty products. Roddick
refused to sell products that harmed animals, as well as ones that damaged the
natural environment. She also promoted the idea of fair trade with third-world
countries. She recycled all her bottles and used recycled items in the store. She
believed that businesses could be run ethically and still make a profit. This idea
was called “ethical consumerism” and was a precursor to the modern green movement.
The Body Shop was enormously successful. By the time the company was
sold to L’Oreal in 2006, it had more than 2,000 stores throughout the world.
Customers voted it the second most-trusted
6
biological --- natural
22
ethical --- moral
22
precursor --- a forerunner
22
green --- environmental
Track 39
121
30
35
40
45
brand in Great Britain, and it was the 28
th
best-known brand in the world. As The Body
Shop grew, Roddick became an activist for
several environmental and social causes. These
included protecting the rain forests, helping poor
farmers, saving whales, and working to end sex
