Retail giant Lush closes all UK shops, including Edinburgh and Glasgow stores, in solidarity with Gaza

Retail giant Lush has closed all of its stores across the UK, including nine in Scotland, in protest at Israel’s actions in Palestine.

The chain, which has more than 100 cosmetics shops, said the closures on Wednesday were intended to deprive the UK government of the day’s tax contributions.

Lush has also closed down its factories and website for the day.

Shoppers hoping to visit the company’s website have been greeted with a page in the colours of the Palestinian flag that says: “Stop starving Gaza. We are closed in solidarity.”

Posters with the same words have also been placed in Lush shopfronts across the UK.

A Lush spokesperson said although the company was losing a day of takings, it also meant “the UK government is losing a day of tax contributions from Lush and their customers”.

Cosmetics chain Lush has pulled down the shutters on more than 100 branches across the UK in protest. | Scotsman

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The firm said in a statement on its website: “Across the Lush business, 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 whilst the Israeli government is preventing urgent humanitarian assistance from entering Gaza. One thing Lush can currently send into Gaza is our love and a strong message that we stand in solidarity.

“This will take the form of halting business-as-usual by shutting our UK shops, website and factories for one day on Wednesday, 3rd September 2025, with our shop windows displaying the message STOP STARVING GAZA - WE ARE CLOSED IN SOLIDARITY.”

Lush has also closed down its factories and website for the day. | NW

The statement added: “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.

“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.”