Jay Thapar takes on influencer and creator partnerships role at high street comeback kid Bodycare
Jay Thapar has joined Bodycare as Head of Influencer & Creator Partnerships. In a LinkedIn post, Thapar, whose CV includes stints at The Beauty Crop and L'Oréal, said: "A beauty retailer where commerce meets culture and creators are at the centre of it. I’m excited to help shape what comes next, build partnerships that actually make an impact and create some serious noise along the way."
Comeback kid
Bodycare opened the doors to its third Studio Store at Highcross Leicester on Saturday 5th September. This built on launches in Sheffield and Derby.
Last year, Bodycare closed all its stores after collapsing into adminstration. Its brand and intellectual property were acquired out of administration in late 2025 by an investor group led by former The Body Shop and Molton Brown CEO Charles Denton, and it is now aiming to open 15 UK stores in 2026, growing to 150 locations over the next five years.
At the heart of the Leicester location will be a free to use Creator Studio, giving local creators, influencers, charities, schools, clubs and community groups a professional space to create, collaborate and share their stories.
Denton said: “The welcome we’ve received since bringing Bodycare back to the high street has been incredible, and we’re absolutely delighted to be bringing our next-generation Studio Store to Leicester. Leicester is a city with a huge sense of identity, community and creativity, exactly the qualities we want to build into our new stores.”
“The Creator Studio gives local people and organisations a place to create, connect and have their voices heard, while our customers can discover great value, new experiences and the brands they know and love.”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Physical stores will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
