L'Oreal to double Body Shop outlets

PARIS, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- French cosmetics giant L'Oreal aims to double the number of Body Shop International outlets, its newly acquired brand.

The company's chief executive, Jean-Paul Agon, said the British company has great potential in emerging markets like China, India and southern South America, the Financial Times said Tuesday.

"This brand has a worldwide potential," he said. "It is already in more than 50 countries and 2,000 stores but in a few years from now it could be in 100 countries and 5,000 stores."

Agon also said that L'Oreal is looking for alternatives to the testing of new chemical ingredients on animals, such as through the use of artificially produced human skin.

The company, which paid $1.2 billion for Body Shop in March, stopped testing finished products on animals in 1989.

The question of animal testing for cosmetics development is an issue because Body Shop's founder made sure no products were sold by her business that had been tested on animals.