Lush CEO says customers opposing his Gaza stance should not shop at his stores

• Lush CEO Mark Constantine told customers who oppose his pro-Palestine stance to refrain from visiting his stores, stating during a BBC interview that he uses company profits to fund humanitarian initiatives for Gaza.
• The declaration follows a major one-day shutdown of all 100+ UK Lush stores and factories on September 3, 2025, an act of protest against the humanitarian crisis that cost the ethical cosmetics firm approximately £300,000 in lost revenue.

Mark Constantine, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Lush Cosmetics, has stated that people who disagree with his positions on critical issues, including the situation in Gaza, should refrain from visiting his stores.

In a recent interview on the BBC's "Big Boss Interview" podcast, Constantine said that customer purchases fund initiatives aligned with his values, and those in opposition should not contribute to such efforts.

Constantine, aged 73, said, "You shouldn’t come into my shop. Because I’m going to take those profits you’re giving me and I’m going to do more of that – so you absolutely shouldn’t support me."

When asked if people would not shop at his store due to his position on Gaza, he said: “Absolutely, that’s what you [the shopper] should do. You shouldn’t come into my shop. Because I’m going to take those profits you’re giving me and I’m going to do more of that – so you absolutely shouldn’t support me.

This declaration follows Lush's notable action in September 2025, when the company closed all its UK stores and its website for a full day in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The shutdown, which reportedly cost the business approximately £300,000, was prompted by reports of starvation and humanitarian distress in the strip.

Stores displayed messages such as "Stop starving Gaza, we are closed in solidarity."

The company’s website said: “Across the Lush business we share the anguish that millions of people feel seeing the images of starving people in Gaza, Palestine.”

Lush, founded in 1995 in Dorset, United Kingdom, by Constantine and five other co-founders, has grown into a global enterprise with 869 outlets across more than 50 countries and an annual turnover of £690 million.

The company remains privately owned and is renowned for its ethical sourcing, handmade products, and integration of activism into its operations.