The personal fairness investor that owns Footasylum is in pole place to purchase The Body Shop, the moral cosmetics chain based by Dame Anita Roddick and her husband Gordon almost 50 years in the past.

Sky News has learnt that Aurelius Group is in unique negotiations to purchase the British-based chain, which was put up on the market by its Brazilian proprietor through the summer time.

Banking sources mentioned this weekend {that a} deal was anticipated to be signed in November.

If accomplished, a deal is predicted to worth The Body Shop at a considerably cheaper price than the £400m to £500m urged in some media studies because the public sale was launched, the sources added.

A extra actual value couldn't be ascertained on Sunday.

Aurelius acquired the streetwear and sportswear chain Footasylum simply over a 12 months in the past after JD Sports Fashion was ordered to promote it by competitors regulators.

It additionally owns the Lloyds Pharmacy group, which it purchased from its American mother or father and has since been promoting on a piecemeal foundation.

Aurelius is claimed to have seen off competitors to purchase The Body Shop from rival bidders together with Alteri Investors, personal fairness agency Epiris and Elliott Advisors, the proprietor of bookseller Waterstones.

Owned by Natura, a Brazilian group, The Body Shop employs about 10,000 individuals, and operates roughly 3,000 shops in 70 international locations.

Although it has struggled to realize worthwhile development for years, it retains a outstanding presence on British excessive streets.

The Roddicks had been outstanding champions of environmental causes, a positioning which helped it achieve an edge over rival retailers through the Nineteen Eighties and 90s.

Its opposition to the animal testing of cosmetics was additionally uncommon within the many years instantly after it was based.

The Body Shop's distinctiveness has, nevertheless, been diminished in recent times by the emergence of rivals which have additionally put sustainability on the coronary heart of their companies whereas extra successfully focusing on youthful customers.

Dame Anita died in 2007.

Natura was reported to have paid greater than $1bn to purchase The Body Shop in 2017, which means its sale to Aurelius is prone to worth it at lower than half that sum.

The Brazilian firm has been working with bankers at Morgan Stanley on the sale, and is known to be eager to conclude a deal earlier than the tip of the 12 months.

It was owned by L'Oreal, the cosmetics big, previous to its sale to Natura.

Coincidentally, Natura agreed to promote Aesop, the cosmetics model, to L'Oreal in April for a reported $2.5bn.

Apart from affirmation in August that it was exploring "strategic alternatives" for The Body Shop, Sao Paulo-listed Natura has not commented publicly on the disposal course of.

Aurelius declined to remark, whereas Natura couldn't be reached for remark.