The Body Shop owed nearly £44m to trade creditors at time of collapse

Company appeals for cut in rent as part of rescue deal as report shows total debts at ethical beauty retailer of more than £276m

The Body Shop owed almost £44m to suppliers, landlords and other trade creditors when it collapsed in February, it has emerged, as it appealed to landlords to cut rent as part of a rescue deal.

Avon, the cosmetics group owned by The Body Shop’s former parent company Natura, is the biggest trade creditor – owed just over £13m for products it manufactured, according to a report by the administrators FRP who were appointed to the UK arm of the ethical beauty retailer in February.