The performance of The Body Shop’s new line of hemp-based products has been, to put it mildly, smokin’.
While the Hemp Dry Skin Treatment Range has only been on store shelves for a month, the calculated-to-be-controversial line, made with the seeds of the marijuana plant, has already outdistanced the company’s forecast.
‘Since we launched, the hemp range already represents 7% of our total sales in Canada,’ says Sorya Ingrid Gaulin, a spokesperson for The Body Shop. ‘This is unprecedented.’
And the line of products, which has also been introduced in international markets, is faring equally well abroad.
‘Since the product was launched, three out of the five products in the range now rank among the top 10 internationally,’ says Gaulin, adding that in the company’s 20-plus-year history, that’s something that’s never happened before.
Gaulin says that the controversy surrounding the launch of the Hemp line was more a benefit than a detriment to The Body Shop and to the hemp industry in general.
‘The controversy with Health Canada attracted more mainstream media,’ says Gaulin. ‘It really raised awareness about the hemp situation here in Canada which is not mainstream at all.’
The five products in the range – Hemp Elbow Grease, Hemp Soap, Hemp Well Oiled, Hemp Lip Conditioner and Hemp Hand Protector – are specially formulated to treat dry skin and prevent loss of moisture. They’re made with a hemp seed oil base, a rich source of essential fatty acids that is said to condition skin.
Gaulin says she expects the hoopla over the launch will soon die down, but believes ‘people will keep coming back to buy [the hemp products] for the benefits.’
The Body Shop, which does not advertise to promote new products, used in-store brochures to promote the line along with in-store posters that featured a variety of tag lines including ‘Hemp Revival for Skin Survival’ and ‘Get Hooked on Hemp.’
