Lush shuts down all UK stores in protest over suffering in Gaza

Lush has announced it is shutting all of its stores in 'solidarity' with the people of Gaza as war continues to hammer the territory.

In a statement released on their website, the high street cosmetics giant said they shared "the anguish that millions of people feel seeing the images of starving people in Gaza,Palestine", and would be closing its shops, website and factories across the UK today.

A short message displayed in the windows of their 102 stores reads: "Stop starving Gaza - we are closed in solidarity". Lush said its decision meant the British government would lose a day of tax contributions from the business and its customers.

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Their statement adds: "Providing our customers with the very best service is ingrained into everything we do at Lush, so shutting our shops is not an easy decision - we ask for forgiveness from any customers we inconvenience should they come to us on 3rd September and find us closed. However, we know that many of our customers share the same anxiety about the current situation in Gaza."

Last summer, Lush announced that all profits from sales of its Watermelon Slice Soap would be donated to "professional mental health support" including trauma counselling and art therapies for children in Gaza and the West Bank.

The company said they now plan to put the item back on the shelves when the shops reopen, adding: "Our fundraising soap, Watermelon Slice, has been the most successful single issue fundraising product in the history of Lush, indicating how strongly our customers feel and we are grateful to have been able to raise funds towards child mental health support in Palestine. We now plan to make this soap available again, with the funds going to medical services, including charities that are gearing up to provide prosthetic limb services to adults and children injured in Gaza.

"Whilst Lush is losing a day of takings, this also means that the UK Government is losing a day of tax contributions from Lush and our customers. We hope they too hear the message our closure sends, with more Government action needed to bring an immediate stop to the death and destruction, including an end to arms sales from the UK."

Lush said that while today's closures will only apply to their UK business, they expect "similar actions" to follow in their international operations as its different leadership teams "seek ways to express their solidarity". The retailer currently operates in 50 countries, including Canada, Croatia, Germany, Japan and Australia.

Israel launched its current campaign in Gaza after the terror attacks by militants on October 7, 2023, which left 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage.

Repeated attacks have killed 63,633 people in the 23 months since, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. Concerns have been raised more recently by international observers over a famine in the region, resulting in multiple nations, including the UK, pledging humanitarian aid.