Cosmetics chain Lush shuts its Irish stores for a day ‘in solidarity with Gaza’

The cosmetics brand has four stores in Ireland

The business, which trades in more than 50 countries, said it has put messages in the windows of closed shops which read: 'Stop starving Gaza, we are closed in solidarity.' PA

Cosmetics chain Lush has shut all of its UK stores and closed its website on Wednesday, and will close its four Irish stores on Thursday in solidarity with people starving in Gaza.

The natural cosmetics brand has more than 100 stores in the UK including its flagship spa on London’s Oxford Street. It has four stores in Ireland: one on Oliver Plunkett Street in Cork, one in Dundrum Shopping Centre, and two in Dublin city centre.

In a statement on its website, the company said: “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.”

The business, which trades in more than 50 countries, said it has put messages in the windows of closed shops which read: “Stop starving Gaza, we are closed in solidarity.”

Lush, which was founded in the UK, said it hopes the Government ‘hears the message’ its closure sends (PA)

Speaking on Wednesday to James O’Brien on LBC, Lush co-founder and chief executive Mark Constantine said: “Something has to give, doesn’t it? We would like to point out, especially to our Government and to everyone else that you know we’re expecting them to do something.”

Asked how much the closure would cost the company, he said “around £300,000”.

He added: “Well, it would be good to be able to pay for food to go into Gaza, wouldn’t it?

“Rather than just sacrifice it, I mean, we have debated so many different things that we could do or might do, and this was in the end, it was just that this is what we’re doing.”

The company, founded in the UK, added: “It feels important that we lift our voice first from here in the UK, however we know that sentiment across the international Lush business is strong and we expect similar actions may follow as other Lush countries seek ways to express their solidarity.”