‘Stop starving Gaza’: Retail giant Lush shuts all stores, website to protest Israeli war

UK cosmetics company Lush shut down its websites and closed all its stores across the country for a day as part of what the company said was a pro-Palestinian statement of solidarity.

“Across the Lush business we share the anguish that millions of people feel seeing the images of starving people in Gaza, Palestine. One thing Lush can currently send into Gaza is our love and a strong message that we stand in solidarity,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

“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,” it added.

The cosmetic company shared an image declaring ‘Stop starving Gaza’ as it also closed its factories in a one-day gesture.

Sending a message to the government

Lush said that while it will lose out on earnings for a day, the closure would also take away the UK government’s tax collection from the company and its customers for a day.

“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,” the company said.

Meanwhile, Lush reiterated its commitment to serving its customers and asked for “forgiveness” for any inconvenience caused due to shutting down its stores. The company however highlighted that its customers “shared 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,” it said referring to a fundraising campaign raising funds for child mental health support in Palestine.