The woman who changed our lives

Pioneer, entrepreneur, campaigner: Anita Roddick's career symbolised a change in the way we live, and a move to a world where shoppers are now as interested in the environmental and ethical cost of a product as the price.

CATE DEVINE and SARAH FAULDS

Loyalty and generosity of spirit were characteristic of the philanthropic businesswoman whose Body Shop empire grew to 2000 stores in more than 50 countries. Despite her enormous commercial success, the mother of two, who died on Monday, believed she should give something back. She never stopped campaigning: for the environment, and against animal testing, child labour in the Third World, sexism and ageism. She supported fair trade, Greenpeace and human rights. She helped found The Big Issue in London, supported CND, Amnesty International, Friends of the Earth and Shelter, and campaigned for sufferers of heptatitis C. Her vision included founding the Soapworks manufacturing plant in Easterhouse, Glasgow.

Here, some of those who knew her and worked with her tell us how they will remember her.

Anita the female entrepreneur
"With Anita's passing we have lost an important icon for women all over the world. Quite simply, she's irreplaceable. She was a wonderful example of someone who believed in justice in every area of life.

"We worked together a lot in the early days, in the 1970s and 1980s, and Anita lent her support to many of the projects I am involved in. We shared the same vision in terms of responsible business practices, awareness of the environment and the media's portrayal of women. We spent years believing in the same things. She had fantastic resources and was not afraid to put her reputation on the line.

"She used to say to women, If you don't believe you can make a difference, just look at what one mosquito can do in a room.' Her legacy is everywhere. Just look at what this one woman has done to change the world. I hope that when younger women read the tributes to her, they will be reminded of what's possible. I count what she did more highly than what any politician has done."

Lynne Franks, former PR businesswoman, now author, lifestyle guru and founder of SEED empowerment programmes for women.

"Anita Roddick was a massive inspiration to the generation of female entrepreneurs who came to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s. Her loss is a tragedy for British business. We need lots more Anita Roddicks in the business world."

Ann Gloag, philanthropist and co-founder of Stagecoach.

Anita the ethical retailer
"The Body Shop changed our retail culture for ever. Anita's success was significant in opening up retail to all talents, and she spawned lots of female entrepreneurs, among them Laura Ashley and, in Scotland, Vera Weisfeld of What Every Woman Wants.

"She was a high-profile and highly committed role model for women. In the 1980s and 1990s The Body Shop was pivotal to the success of Sophie Mirman of Sock Shop, Belinda Earl of Debenhams and Kate Swann, chief executive of Argos and now of WH Smith. Compared with retailing in the 1950s and 1960s, when high-end retail management was a very male preserve - for example, Sainsbury's management line-up was all men, all dressed in exactly the same way - Roddick opened up the idea that women could run and grow retail business very well. She broke the mould.

"She tapped into the make do and mend' ethos of the time, and made style, smell, ethical campaigning and recycling all acceptable as retail concepts.

"I admire her for growing The Body Shop without losing its original ethos."

Leigh Sparks, professor of retail studies at Stirling University.

"That the Body Shop was so successful showed that there could be more to business than the bottom line. When you're going into business on your own, there can be a negative image surrounding it. Anita showed it didn't have to be like that; that business could be positive.

"She really hit hard on animal testing, on recycling packaging and then on fair trade, and showed that you can be ethical and still be successful - that you don't have to be unscrupulous. I don't come from a business family, or a business background, and the image of business in the media isn't very good, but she did a lot to show the other side of it.

"Her personality, ambition and drive were inspiring. She gave every shopper the chance to make ethical decisions. She did for cosmetics what I want to do for fabrics such as organic cotton and hemp."

Carolyn Manson, owner of the ethical clothing store Bolshie in Glasgow.

Anita the campaigner
"She was a leading light of the modern green movement, and was one the first people to combine a profitable business with environmental responsibility.

"She not only spent an enormous amount of energy on running a pioneering company but devoted passion and creativity to helping green, human rights and development organisations achieve their aims. Anita was an independent thinker and political activist in her own right."

Duncan McLaren, chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland.

"Anita Roddick was a hugely inspirational personality and a major influence on how we view the world in terms of the environment and the way we do our shopping.

"I met her a few times and felt her incredible energy and positive attitude to things. She was really quite challenging, but never threatening. She created an environment where people wanted to do things, to get involved, and I believe her strong values and call to action started the chain that led to the current explosion of interest in and commitment to the fair-trade movement.

"She helped shape a new agenda for the whole world. Who would have thought just three years ago that the environment would be top of the political agenda today? Even Gordon Brown and David Cameron are politicking on green issues now. Anita was a key cog in this.

"The Body Shop was both a business and a political movement. It was responsible for social change but because it was making lots of money, too, Anita also had a view on what big business can do. Thanks to her, you can't buy non-environmentally friendly shampoo anywhere these days.

"Anita's passing is very sad, but I hope people remain inspired by her for ever. If we all had just 1% of her energy we'd change the world completely."

Mel Young, co-founder of The Big Issue in Scotland, founder-director of New Consumer, the Fairtrade ethical consumer magazine, and president of the Homeless World Cup.