Cosmetics retailer Lush closed all its UK stores and website for a full day on Wednesday in what it described as solidarity with people in Gaza. The natural cosmetics brand also shut its factories, with more than 100 stores across the country marked as "temporarily closed" on Google Maps, including its flagship spa on London's Oxford Street.
The company posted messages in shop windows reading "Stop starving Gaza, we are closed in solidarity." Lush said in a statement that it shares "the anguish that millions of people feel seeing the images of starving people in Gaza, Palestine" and struggles to find ways to help "whilst the Israeli government is preventing urgent humanitarian assistance from entering Gaza."
Financial cost and government message
Chief executive and co-founder Mark Constantine told LBC the closure cost the company "around £300,000" in lost takings. He said the company wanted to send a message to the government, stating: "Something has to give, doesn't it? We would like to point out, especially to our Government and to everyone else that you know we're expecting them to do something."
Constantine added: "Well, it would be good to be able to pay for food to go into Gaza, wouldn't it? Rather than just sacrifice it, I mean, we have debated so many different things that we could do or might do, and this was in the end, it was just that this is what we're doing." A company spokesperson confirmed that staff were being paid for the closure day.
Political backdrop
The closure comes amid ongoing political pressure on the UK government over the Gaza situation. The Prime Minister said last month that Britain will recognise a Palestinian state later in September unless Israel meets certain conditions, including addressing the humanitarian crisis and implementing a ceasefire.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy told MPs on Monday that Gaza is experiencing a "man-made famine" as the war continues. Lush said it hoped the government would "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."
The company, which trades in more than 50 countries, indicated that similar actions might follow internationally. It said: "It feels important that we lift our voice first from here in the UK, however we know that sentiment across the international Lush business is strong and we expect similar actions may follow as other Lush countries seek ways to express their solidarity."
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
