Business An Israeli Soap Opera .4%,14104 • Jerusalem (JPFS)—Three years ago few people were aware of Body Shop, a small and unpretentious Israeli nat- ural skin-care chain. While the corn- pany already had 16 stores across the country, none were doing well and losses were growing at an alarming pace. But the chain has been upgraded and updated, and today it is a thriving and profitable business which brought in large sales in 1996 and promises more this year. Three new stores are opening in the next few months and brand awareness is increasing. Ironically, what brought about this transformation was a clash with a giant. It seems unthinkable, but two years ago Body Shop Israel, part of Fisher Pharmaceuticals Inc., Israel's largest skin-care company, went into a trade- name battle with a seemingly unstop- pable multinational titan — the Body Shop International — and won, despite the fact that the whole concept of the Israeli chain had been taken from the international one. As a result of this unusual victory, the British-based multinational, which has 1,500 stores in 47 countries around the world in 1996, cannot open so much as a stall anywhere from Eilat to Naharia. This is the skin-care equivalent of Israel's tiny MacDavid Hamburger chain preventing burger giant McDonald's from operating in Israel. While the Israeli chain has clearly beaten its larger rival, this is no ordi- nary David vs. Goliath story. Instead, this is a tale that could grace the storyline of many a daytime soap. According to a Body Shop Israel adviser, who did not wish to be named, the story began in 1984 when two Israelis from Haifa approached he highly successful British chain, owned by Anita Roddick, and asked if they could franchise a store in Israel. Roddick refused, but the two men decided to go ahead anyway. They opened a store in Tel Aviv and, using the same concept as their British com- petitor, began selling natural skin-care products made from vegetable and ineral ingredients that hadn't been tested on animals. They brazenly called it Body Shop. Over the next 10 years, as the Body fOn • '4 : Rad e Oh Equipped with dual airbags, dual zone climate control, cruise, illuminated entry, power locks, remote keyless entry, traction control, 4-wheel disc brakes, ABS brakes, cabin air quality filter, ice warning indicator, child security locks, chrome wheels and much more! M.S.R.P. $31,830 FINAL CLOSEOUT PRICE Total Customer Savings: $4,373 °° $27, 457 A General Motors RINKE CADILLAC - Family Since 1917 MASTER DEALER OintrAFID fARIINtF 1-696 AT VAN DYKE (810) 7584800 If traveling west on 1-696, exit Hoover, follow Service Drive to RINKE. If traveling east on 1-696, exit Van Dyke; take to second bridge past Van Dyke over expressway to RINKE. The Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit Presents as Part of the "Hot Topics Series, , , " Peace & Conflict in the Family: Are we one Jewish People? Phil Jacobs - Editor of Detroit Jewish News Will Moderate Thursday, September 25, 1997 • 7:30 p.m. Jewish Community Center Maple/Drake Building This program is co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Council & The Jewish News Rabbi Harold Loss - Temple Israel Professor Alan Schenk - T'Chiyah Rabbi Efry Spectre - Adat Shalom Rabbi Steven Weil - Young Israel Rabbi Sherwin Wine - Birmingham Temple • Panel of Local Rabbis • Tolerance versus Understanding • Perspectives and Solutions • Recent World Events and Their Impact On Our Community There is no charge for this program. Refreshments will be served. Call (248) 661-7649 to pre-register for the lecture. 'TN DETROIT =WEISZ NEWS JCC I /74.4.,1 9 /1 9 1997 155