COSMETICS retail giant Lush has closed all of its UK stores in protest at Israel’s actions in Palestine.
Lush, which operates more than 100 stores across the UK, has also closed down its factories and website for the day. Visitors are instead greeted with a page in the colours of the Palestinian flag which reads: “Stop starving Gaza. We are closed in solidarity.”
Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is wanted for arrest by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity, including the use of starvation as a weapon of war.
Israel illegally occupies Gaza and controls the flow of goods and people in and out of the Palestinian region. The country is also accused of genocide by leading global experts including the International Association of Genocide Scholars.
Lush said it hopes to push the UK Government into greater action by depriving it of a day's worth of tax revenue from its business.
The firm said in a statement: “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.”
The firm apologised for any inconvenience it may cause customers, but added: “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.
The firm ended with a call to action from the UK Government, saying: “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.”
Lush was founded in the UK in 1994 and has since expanded to trade in more than 50 countries.
The firm said that, while it is only its UK shops closing for the day, they “expect similar actions may follow as other Lush countries seek ways to express their solidarity”.
The UK Government said it would not comment on a single business's actions.
