Everyone knows of The Body Shop stores abundantly sprinkled
throughout malls across the country, but the newest division, The
Body Shop At Home, has yet to make a name for itself. In 2001, the
well-known beauty-store chain created a new way of pampering
oneself while spending time with friends by introducing its At Home
Division.
Originally started in the United Kingdom, At Home was first
introduced in Michigan, California and Massachusetts. Now, The Body
Shop At Home parties have spread to every state, with more than
5,100 consultants in each one. The parties’ purpose is a
chance to get together with friends, relax and enjoy beauty
products. The parties have been nicknamed GNOs, short for
Girls’ Night Out.
The way the parties work is similar to other Mary Kay cosmetics
or Tupperware home parties. A host contacts a consultant to fix a
date for the party. Then the host invites as many or as few guests
as desired. The guests receive the Body Shop treatments free of
charge. The consultant informs the party attendees about the
history of the Body Shop, gives them an inside look into the
details of the product line and gives tips on how to improve skin.
Each guest receives a packet of information with details about most
of The Body Shop products and an order form to place a personal
order, with discounted prices on many items. As a bonus, the
parties offer special discounts on certain products just for
hosting an At Home party. And depending on the sales from the
party, hosts can earn 50-percent-off or even free Complete Care
Sets, which are not available in the stores. In addition, a raffle
at the end of the party gives away even more free gifts to the
guests.
Hosts can choose from four different theme options for their
party. With each theme, the guests get a first-hand experience of
the products. Your Face is Forever allows guests to choose a facial
scrub and a mask that suits the individual’s skin type and
apply the smoothing scrub to half of the face and the exfoliating
mask to the other half. The final step is the facial moisturizer
and Vitamin facial spray.
The Spa Experience theme allows guests to massage their legs and
feet in warm water using the fragrant body shower wash and matching
body scrub. Next, a hydrating body mask is applied, set and rinsed
clean. The moisture-rich body lotion is the finishing touch.
With Foot Fun, guests are given their own warm water bin to soak
their feet in while using the softening pumice scrubs and aromatic
lotions from the Peppermint Foot Care line.
Lastly, the Make-It-Up GNO is the Body Shop makeup line that
uses adapters, which is makeup designed to work with the
guests’ pre-existing makeup. Guests can choose from a variety
of mattifyers, bronzers, eye shimmers and much more.
The Body Shop At Home division is a unique way to hang out with
friends while enjoying beautifying body products from the comfort
of home. Consultant Wendy Van Sumer says she started working as a
consultant to do something different while making some extra money.
What she ended up finding was plentiful knowledge about skin care
and the chance to meet lots of new people.
“The Body Shop is truly a great company with strong values
and a commitment to help those in need, and it’s a nice
feeling to know that I’m associated with it,” notes Van
Sumer. This ever-growing new service from The Body Shop might end
up being the Tupperware party of the new millennium. Who
wouldn’t want a free night of talking with friends while
being pampered?