LONDON — British cosmetics company Lush said on Wednesday it has shut all of its U.K. brick-and-mortar stores, online operation and factories for one day, in a bid to raise awareness about the starvation in Gaza.
The Dorset-based company put out a statement on its website, saying, “We share the anguish that millions of people feel seeing the images of starving people in Gaza, Palestine. Like the rest of the world, we struggle to find ways we can help.”
The brand said halting operations for one day is its way of showing solidarity. All of its stores across the U.K. on Wednesday displayed the same message on their windows.
It also pointed out that Lush losing a day of takings also means that the U.K. government is losing a day of tax contributions from Lush and its 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 U.K.,” Lush added in the statement.
Lush then asked for forgiveness for the inconvenience the action may have caused on the day to its customers, and claimed that many of its customers share the same anxiety about the current situation in Gaza.
It revealed that its fundraising soap, Watermelon Slice, has been the most successful single-issue fundraising product in the history of Lush. Proceeds from this item go to child mental health support in Palestine.
The brand added that it plans to make this soap available again, with the funds going to medical services, including charities that aim to provide prosthetic limb services to adults and children injured in Gaza.
Lush, which operates in more than 50 countries and has over 100 shops in the U.K. and Ireland, has historically been vocal in taking a stance on hot political issues.
Last year, one of its stores in Hull, a port city on the northeast coast, was ransacked amid far-right, anti-immigrant protests.
At the time, the brand told WWD that Lush is concerned about the hostile rhetoric used around the subject of immigration and has run public campaigns on the issue.
#Lush #Shuts #U.K #Stores #Day #Voices #Support #Gaza
