Lush temporarily closes all UK stores in 'solidarity with Gaza'

Lush has temporarily shut all its UK stores and its website in “solidarity with Gaza“.

The cosmetics firm, which operates more than 100 stores across the UK with nine in Scotland, also closed its factories on Wednesday.

Visitors to the website are greeted with a page in the colours of the Palestinian flag, which reads: “Stop starving Gaza. We are closed in solidarity.”

It comes in the wake of reports of attacks on Gaza City, which is said to have left Palestinians fleeing the area.

The message greeting visitors to the Lush website on Wednesday. Lush via Supplied

The offensive has drawn international condemnation after Israel declared Gaza’s largest city a dangerous combat zone, with health officials saying the death toll has risen to 63,025.

A statement shared on Lush’s website read: “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, September 3, 2025, with our shop windows displaying the message: Stop starving Gaza – We are closed in solidarity.”

The business said it was not an “easy decision” and apologised to any customers inconvenienced by the closures.

Lush, which was founded in the UK in 1994, said that while only its UK shops are closing for the day, it expects stores in other countries to “seek ways to express their solidarity”.

The firm ended with a call to 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.”

A Government spokesperson said: “The killing of civilians, journalists and health care workers in Gaza is intolerable, and the UK continues to call for an immediate ceasefire as the only way to end the bloodshed.

“As set out to Parliament in September, we have suspended licences for exports of military equipment to the IDF that might be used in operations in Gaza, based on our assessment that these could be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law.”