As someone who used to work at Bath & Body Works in the 90’s, I probably know a little more about the company than the average person. (That, and I’ve been obsessed with the store since I first stepped foot in it in 1994.)
Believe it or not, BBW started as a bath and body product line sold in Express stores. They were so popular that Express’ parent company, Limited, Inc., decided to give them their very own store. The first store opened in Boston in fall of 1990. At first, BBW had an environmental theme and used a green tree for its logo (similar to Origins). Every once in a while you’ll see one of these very early “green tree” products on ebay, so keep your eyes open!
Unfortunately the green tree era of BBW didn’t last long - they were sued by The Body Shop for being too similar. As a result of the lawsuit, BBW developed a whole new brand that was as far away from The Body Shop as they could get - one that evoked a country marketplace with fruit, flowers, wooden barrels, wicker baskets and red gingham aprons. Thus the “heartland” era was born.
BBW grew rapidly throughout the 90’s, and introduced women to the concept of using shower gel with a bath pouf instead of a bar of soap, as well as unique things like “body splash” instead of perfume, and lotion that smelled like fruit. Though all this stuff is common today, it wasn’t in the early 90’s and BBW was responsible for bringing these things to the mainstream.
Most people, myself included, loved the heartland theme. It was like being welcomed into someone’s cozy country home and being invited to stay a while. You can try out the products (unheard of in a drugstore) and weren’t pressured to buy.
Unfortunately, once the 21st century rolled around, Limited, Inc. decided to axe the heartland theme in favor of a “modern apothecary” theme. The red gingham and wooden barrels were ditched in favor of white tables and white walls. Though the products have always been high quality, the store just isn’t as fun as it used to be.
To those who still yearn for the heartland days, this tumblr is for you!
BBW Timeline
1990 - 1991: Green Tree Era
In the beginning, BBW used a green tree for its logo, and products used brown paper labels with dark green printing.
1991 - 2001: Heartland Era
In response to a lawsuit from The Body Shop, BBW developed its famous sunburst logo and heartland theme. Stores were made to look like country marketplaces with red gingham and wooden barrels, and products reflected the country theme.
2002 - 2005: Modern Apothecary Era
When sales started to slide following the 2001 recession, BBW turned its quaint, country-style stores into “modern apothecaries”. The stores were turned to white and emphasis was placed on products with more holistic ingredients that provided health benefits, such as an expanded aromatherapy line, True Blue Spa and the Pure Simplicity skin care line.
2005 - 2007: Multi-Brand Era
For some reason, BBW decided its own brand wasn’t good enough and decided to carry other, more expensive brands in its stores, such as Tutti Dolci, Le Couvent Des Minimes and Goldie. They were also big on personalities and celebrities, such as Harry Slatkin taking over the home fragrance line.
2007 - Present: The Youth Era
Since BBW’s president Neil Fiske left in 2007, there seems to be more of a focus on capturing the teen/college student demographic. The superfluous brands were phased out (thankfully) and BBW revived its own product line with an emphasis on fun and splashy fragrances and designs.
