Business Spotlight: Lush Part 1

In November 2021, cosmetics retailer Lush took a dramatic step for a 21st-century company — it suspended some of its social media accounts. Though done as a stance against online bullying, it was still an unusual move at a time when companies rely so heavily on social media — but then Lush has rarely played by the rules. Before Lush, there was Mark Constantine and Liz Weir, two cosmeticians from England who were passionate about creating vegetarian, cruelty-free cosmetics. The two made a name for themselves in the ’80s by supplying products to The Body Shop before opening their own mail-order business, Cosmetics to Go, in 1988. Cosmetics to Go — despite introducing beauty classics like the bath bomb — ultimately collapsed within a few years. Undeterred, Constantine, Weir and several friends opened their own shop, Cosmetics House — later, Lush — in 1995. Lush quickly became a popular and lucrative business, and within a year there were stores open in Canada, Croatia and various locations across the U.K. The brand only grew from there. In the past 27 years, it has opened over 900 stores in 52 countries, and has expanded the brand, adding innovations such as in-store spas, which were introduced in 2009. (The Japan Times) To be continued… This article was provided by The Japan Times Alpha.