Daily Management Review

Jack Ma Of Alibaba Invited In The Body Shop Bid Of L'Oreal


06/07/2017


Final bidding is round the clock, while promising bidders have been added to the list for The Body Shop contest.



Investindustrial is a “private equity firm” of Europe, whereby it has sent an invitation to Jack Ma, the founder as well as the “investment vehicle” of Alibaba to come up in a “joint bid” for L'Oreal's “The Body Shop” worth over “800 million euros” only a few before the final bids. Moreover “Blue Pool Capital” based out of Hong Kong has been “asked” to join Investindustrial and GP Investments, one of the “largest private equity firms” Latin America, in the “British-based” cosmetics retailer’s bid.
 
On the other hand, CVC Capital Partners, an “European private equity investor”, has also plans of submitting “a rival offer”, while Advent has made the decision to come of the “contest”. As per the sources, L'Oreal told the “prospective bidders” that offers should be minimum of “800 million euros”.
 
Earlier this month, Reuters was told by the founder of Investindustrial, Andrea Bonomi, that the firm was joining The Body Shop race. In the month of February, L'Oreal announced that its strategy for “The Body Shop”, purchased in the year of 2006 for “652 million pounds”, are uder review.
 
Although, back in the founding year of 1976, The Body Shop started off on a pioneering journey of “ethical beauty” in the industry, at present it has been the victim of increased competition in the same genre that offers “similar products based on natural ingredients and no animal-testing”. Last year, The Body Shop saw a revenue drop of “4.8 percent”, while “its operating profit” fell by 38%.
 
Given the “recent struggles and poor performance” of The Body Shop, the valuation failed to meet the advisor of L'Oreal, Lazard’s hope that were a value near a “billion euros”. There are “a handful of industry players” that have shown interest in The Body Shop bid. In fact, Natura Cosmeticos, a “make-up firm” from Brazil, is also among the interested bidders. According to one of NAtura’s spokesperson:
“The company is constantly looking for business opportunities and it is indeed participating in several of the phases of the process for The Body Shop transaction.”
 
 
References:
www.reuters.com