Cosmetics retailer Lush shut all of its UK shops, factories and its online store on Wednesday in a one-day protest against what it described as the deliberate starvation of people in Gaza.
The company’s website replaced its usual homepage with the words “stop starving Gaza” in bold letters, followed by “closed in solidarity.” Posters with the same message were displayed in shop windows across the country.
Lush, which runs 104 stores in the UK and Ireland, said the move was intended to pressure the government to act. In a statement, it urged ministers to call for an end to the fighting and to suspend arms sales to Israel.
Taking a Financial Hit
The retailer admitted that closing for a day meant losing sales and tax contributions, but said the scale of the humanitarian crisis left it with little choice. “This is not an easy decision, and we ask our customers for forgiveness for the inconvenience,” the statement said. “But many of our customers share our deep concern for Gaza.”
The company hinted that similar actions may follow in other countries where it operates.
Reports of Famine
The protest came days after the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a leading global hunger monitor, reported that around 500,000 people in Gaza were experiencing famine. The organisation called the situation “entirely man-made” and warned that hunger was spreading fast.
Israel dismissed the findings, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling the report “an outright lie.” He has denied that famine exists in Gaza and argued that where shortages do occur, aid agencies and Hamas are to blame. Israeli officials insist they are not restricting deliveries of food or medical supplies.
A War Still Raging
The conflict in Gaza began after Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and saw more than 250 taken hostage. Israel’s military campaign since then has killed at least 63,700 people in Gaza, according to figures from the territory’s health ministry.
The United Nations has said Israel is obliged under international humanitarian law to ensure the population has access to food and medicine. Aid groups have repeatedly accused Israel of blocking or slowing shipments — claims the Israeli government rejects.
A Divisive Stand
Lush, best known for its bath bombs and handmade soaps, has a long history of using its brand to take political positions. The Gaza shutdown is among its most dramatic gestures, drawing both praise for moral leadership and criticism for politicising its business.
For the company, though, the message was clear. As its statement put it, giving up a day’s trade was a small price to pay “to shine a light on the suffering in Gaza and to push for urgent action.”
