Key Takeaways:
In a rare political statement for the beauty industry, cosmetic retailer Lush has shut down all UK stores, factories, and its e-commerce site for one day (September 3 in the UK, September 4 in Ireland) to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Shop windows and the company’s homepage showed the message “Stop Starving Gaza – Closed in Solidarity,” marking one of the most direct activist actions by a global beauty company in recent years. Lush acknowledged that closing operations conflicts with its customer service ethos but framed the move as a moral imperative.
Speaking with LBC Radio, the co-founder Mark Constantine estimates company losses at £300,000 ($402,000). Offering support for the closure, he said, “It would be nice to be able to pay for food to go into Gaza, rather than just sacrificing [profits].” A spokesperson from Lush confirmed with PA News that agency staff had been paid for the day's closure. In 2024, Lush had a turnover of £690 million ($927 million), operating 869 stores globally, with most stores located in the UK.
The vegan beauty brand put out a statement on its website, saying, “Across the Lush business we share the anguish that millions of people feel seeing the images of starving people in Gaza, Palestine.”
The brand has also relaunched its Watermelon Slice fundraising soap, previously its most successful single-issue charity product, with proceeds directed to medical services and prosthetic limb support for those injured in Gaza.
While Lush forfeited a day's takings, impacting both revenue and UK tax contributions, it emphasized that the closure was intended to amplify pressure on the government to call for an immediate ceasefire and halt arms sales to Israel.
The decision underscores Lush’s longstanding reputation for activism, often taking positions where other beauty companies stay silent. With 104 stores across the UK and Ireland and a footprint in 50 stores in global markets, the brand has signaled that further closures could follow internationally.
The move comes as the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reported that famine is spreading rapidly in Gaza, affecting nearly half a million people, though Israel has rejected those findings. The UN has reiterated that Israel is obligated under international law to ensure food and medical aid access.
For Lush, this latest act of solidarity goes beyond product activism and into operational sacrifice, a rare stance in a sector often defined by cautious corporate neutrality. As consumer expectations around brand ethics continue to rise, Lush is positioning itself not just as a retailer of bath bombs and soaps, but as a business unafraid to align its commercial platform with political convictions.
