Lush shuts UK stores, factories, and website in protest over Gaza famine
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Cosmetics retailer Lush closed all its UK shops, factories, and online stores on Wednesday in protest against starvation in Gaza.
The move, which included shuttering its Oxford Street spa in London, is estimated to have cost the company around £300,000.
Posters on storefronts and a message on its website read: “Stop starving Gaza, we are closed in solidarity.” On Google Maps, the Oxford Street spa was marked as “temporarily closed.”
Co-founder Mark Constantine told LBC radio that he supported the closure despite the financial impact. “It would be nice to be able to pay for food to go into Gaza, rather than just sacrificing [profits],” he said.
The statement on Lush’s website asked customers for forgiveness for any inconvenience caused. It said, “Many of our customers share the same anxiety about the situation in Gaza.”
The company urged the UK government to end “death and destruction” and halt arms sales to Israel, noting: “The UK government is losing a day of tax contributions from Lush.”
Founded in the UK, the brand produced 102 million products in 2024 and reported a turnover of £690 million. It operates 869 stores worldwide, with the highest number in Britain.
The company also said its fundraising product, Watermelon Slice soap, has been its most successful single fundraising item ever. Profits from the soap support mental health services for children in Gaza and the West Bank.
Lush has a history of political stances.
In 2018, it launched the #Spycops campaign to highlight undercover policing abuses in the UK.
In 2021, it boycotted some social media apps, citing their harmful effects on teenage body image.
The company has also provided financial support to climate action groups, including RoadBlock and Clear the Skies.
However, in October 2023, it opposed placing a “Boycott Israel” poster on a Dublin store, saying it conflicted with its ethos that “All Are Welcome. Always.”
A company spokesperson said that staff were paid during the closure.
The closure comes amid heightened political debate in the UK. Earlier this month, the prime minister said Britain would recognise a Palestinian state later in September unless Israel met conditions such as easing the humanitarian crisis, enforcing a ceasefire, and reviving peace talks.
On Monday, Foreign Secretary David Lammy told MPs that Gaza was facing a “man-made famine” due to ongoing Israeli restrictions on aid.