The future direction of the Body Shop cosmetics and toiletries group may well hinge on the response of Irish customers to the new store format being tried out at the group's refurbished flagship store on Grafton Street, Dublin.

Reopened three weeks ago, the store is the first Body Shop outlet to depart from the traditional "green" design so strongly associated with the "eco-friendly" group founded by Ms Anita Rod dick and her husband Gordon in 1976. Instead, the redesign of Grafton Street uses light and bright colours, natural materials and textiles.

Recycled materials have been used wherever possible. Although it is too early to judge the success of the new format, Body Shop hopes it will offer a positive alternative to the group's long dependency on presenting a green face to the shopping world.