When in Rome

A cosmetic retailer sells her wares at a Saudi Arabian bazaar.

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"I'd be daft to give up the chance to hand-deliver our product," declares Anita Roddick, who's decided that her stand-alone stores in Saudi Arabia aren't the only way to sell her cosmetics. That's why, come October, Roddick will set up shop in the country's busiest bazaar, the local souk, where haggling is an art form.

There, under a giant tent, squeezed among legendary carpet merchants, the British-born Body Shop perfume collection will sell in pushcarts and stalls. "Intermingling with local tradesmen not only links us to the community, but it's inspirational for the staff." Roddick asks, "Where would you rather work -- Bloomingdale's or a string of stores in the souk?"

-- Elizabeth Conlin

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