Lush, Gaza, and the power of values in action

Too many companies confuse brand values with marketing slogans. Lush just showed us what it means to stand for something.

Last week, cosmetics brand Lush made global headlines. Not for a new product launch, but for something far more powerful: closing all of its UK high street stores and e-commerce operations in solidarity with Gaza.

For quite some time, I’ve been fascinated by what makes a company a good company. And how is it that one business can have values almost identical to another, and yet the one clearly outperforms on engagement, trust, and internal alignment?

The truth is, values alone won’t get you there. It’s about whether they align with a clear vision. And at Lush, both the vision and the values are crystal clear — and visible in every action they take.

“Stop starving Gaza — we are closed in solidarity.”
This message appeared not only on Lush’s website homepage, but in every single UK shop window on Wednesday, 3 September.

They didn’t just post a black square.
They didn’t rely on a clever ad.
They stopped trading; sacrificing a day’s takings, and in doing so, sending a message louder than any hashtag.

Not performative. Purposeful.

It’s easy to write words. In fact, AI can do it now so it couldn't be easier. But action? Action costs. It risks backlash. It stirs discomfort. And that’s what makes it meaningful.

In Lush’s case:

• They operate in over 50 countries with the UK as their largest market.

• Assuming UK revenue is ~40%, that’s around £283m/year, or £500k–700k lost in a single day.

• That also equates to £150k in lost tax revenue to the UK government.

(These are not reported numbers but my own calculations).

As they explained:

"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… However, we know that many of our customers share the same anxiety about the current situation in Gaza."

And there is more. Lush also relaunched its Watermelon Slice fundraising soap, with 100% of profits going to support medical services in Gaza, including prosthetics for injured civilians. In other words, they involved their customers in the solution. They gave people a way to stand with them, through action, not just sentiment.

And while the UK was the first to take action, this week we’ve seen the same message carried across France, Belgium, and Luxembourg, showing that this isn’t just a one-day, one-country gesture.

Culture as a system, not just a slogan

And it’s no coincidence that Lush could take such a bold stance.

The brand has spent years building a culture where store leaders are trusted as business leaders — encouraged to think independently, act ethically, and serve their communities with integrity. As their Head of UK & Ireland Retail recently shared:

“We empower our shop managers to act as autonomous business leaders. We lead with trust. We inspire rather than instruct.”

This isn’t a top-down PR stunt. It’s the result of intentional leadership culture, where values are embedded into how decisions are made at every level, from shop floor to boardroom.

And it’s working. Staff retention is higher. Morale is stronger. Teams are more agile, more community-led, more empowered. Which means when a moment like this comes, they don’t need permission to do what’s right. They already know how.

Values as strategy

Ultimately, this is what separates Lush from the crowd. Their values are not a brand campaign. They are a strategic compass. Other companies may have values written on posters, Lush lives theirs on the shopfront glass.

In doing so, they:

• Start conversations that matter.

• Hold governments to account.

• Invite their customers into a shared moral space.

• Remind us that people buy from people, not policies.

“Let’s stop chasing shiny objects and start solving the hard problems.” – Björn Bengtsson

In retail, well actually, in life, what matters isn’t what you say. It’s what you stand for. And what you sacrifice to show it.

That’s the real cost of values.
And Lush just paid it. Proudly.