Lush, what is the point?!

[Gloriia]

Lush closing stores for 24hr 'in solidarity of Gaza'.

What a ridiculous empty gesture.

Surely a better idea would be to stay open for 24 hrs and donate all extra income to a Gazan charity, or close but all staff to attend an intifada with flasks and placards <'free palestine' naturally, do not mentions the hostages!>

I quite liked Lush I'll ensure to shop elsewhere going forward.

Lush have been problematic for years including giving out chest binders to underage girls so it's not surprised me that they're doing this

And no it's not going to help the people of Gaza at all. Netenyahu is not going to look at what Lush are doing and think "hmmm best stop dropping those bombs now eh..."

'Lush have been problematic for years including giving out chest binders to underage girls'

It’s not entirely empty - if you read the details it is specifically re the aid situation in Gaza and it is to pressure the uk govt: it means the UK govt is missing out on tax from them for being closed for a day. A small gesture but not empty. They’ve also already raised a lot of money for a mental health charity for children in Gaza with their watermelon soap which is coming back to raise further funds for children who have lost limbs. Even if you disagree with closing for a day, perhaps you could pop in and buy some soap to support a worthy cause?

Don't you think staying open non stop for 24hrs and donating the extra income would be more beneficial?

I think its a great gesture of solidarity and any thing that brings the starvation of Gaza into the headlines is a good thing.

The watermelon soap has quickly become one of their best selling products, 100% of the profits are being donated solely to projects providing urgently-needed professional mental health support, trauma counselling and art and play therapies for children in Gaza and the West Bank.

Israel need to stop starving Gaza.

'The watermelon soap has quickly become one of their best selling products, 100% of the profits are being donated '

Yes great. As i say though staying open would surely generate more donations? Imagine that 24hrs non stop or even 48hrs? That would really generate support but a day off for all their staff just doesn't really hit the mark protest wise.

They’re fundraising too though. Closing is about pressuring the Uk government. It’s two different ways of showing solidarity with the children suffering in Gaza. I can understand why you think it’s pointless but I think they are trying to help those kids as best they can. If you don’t agree with the closing but agree with fundraising, just buy the soap!

Ok well if they are fundraising on their extra day off I stand corrected. On the news it doesn't say anything about fundraising just that they are closing stores and having a day off which as I say seems a bit poor protest wise.

When you are the CEO of a business you can choose what to do. Lush chose this and personally I think they should be applauded.

Maybe it's worth considering why a news source would withold part of a story to make it seem pointless and tokenistic.

Having a day off should not be applauded. People are suffering in gaza I doubt they'd be applauding shop staff having a day off.

They should have done something constructive, a marathon opening and donating income. This is such absolutely privileged nonsense. Oh the hardship the Lush staff are enduring!

I can understand your opinion. Best to go to the source of the story (the Lush website was helpful!) to see what’s really going on as we all know how misleading/unhelpful some reporting can be!

They got you talking about it didn't they? Like I said anything that brings the starvation of Gaza into the headlines and makes people like you post about it is a good thing.

That makes no sense, because (unless you believe that because Lush is closed for a day, all the customers that had been planning on buying something there that day go and buy their bath bombs somewhere else instead), they are just delaying their sales to another day and will end up paying the same amount of tax.

And if the Lush customers do shop elsewhere because they can’t wait one day, well, tax will be paid on those sales elsewhere instead, so again no overall effect.

(That’s a very simplistic way of looking at things but fundamentally it is just nonsense to suggest that closing for a one-off day will make any difference to UK tax receipts or is making any kind of meaningful protest).

But then again I’ve not shopped at Lush for ages, since the breast binders nonsense, so I’m not bothered either way.

I’m not saying it’s some genius idea, I’m just saying it’s not a totally empty gesture and they have raised a lot of money for worthy causes.

And re the binders, I want to add that they weren’t given away, they were in effect sold for £7 with 100% of that money going to a trans-clothing charity. Another worthwhile cause for some, not for others.

I’ve boycotted them for quite some time but this latest stunt is despicable of them.

'But then again I’ve not shopped at Lush for ages, since the breast binders nonsense'

Yes must admit I had no idea about this. Shocking.

With everything going on in the world, Lush closing for the day to show solidarity with starving children is despicable?!

'And if the Lush customers do shop elsewhere because they can’t wait one day, well, tax will be paid on those sales elsewhere instead, so again no overall effect'

Exactly i don't think they've thought this through.

People like me?

We know there is suffering in gaza caused by hamas, we know there is serious malnutrition. Sadly we've seen it all too often in warzones like Syria and Yemen and now gaza.

The point is having a day off seems such a very inadequate gesture. Don't you agree a marathon opening session and donating funds would be more constructive? I'll email Lush and share my tips maybe.

We will have agree to disagree (again!) on the first point. But I do think fundraising is better than closing for a day. I’d rather funds go straight to people who need it rather than apply a tiny bit of pressure to the govt. Lots of public pressure is already being applied. I think your marathon opening session is a great idea.

It’s just another publicity seeking exercise from them. At least the staff will get a day off work. That’s the only good thing about it.

Yes, social media users like you posting about Lush and highlighting the starvation in Gaza.

Like I said personally I think what they are doing is fine. People are talking, they are keeping the starvation of the people of Gaza in the news. If you want to email them though go for it, everybody is entitled to their opinion.

When the problem is Israel purposefully not allowing enough food into Gaza there are limits to what fundraising can do. The most urgent thing isn't affording aid, the most urgent thing is the government of Israel allowing food in. It was only awareness and pressure from foreign governments that made Israel allow in air drops. That's why people and companies like Lush say that they want the UK government to take notice of what they are doing, to try and apply pressure. Personally I think closing stores makes a bigger splash in that regard than being open.

I agree re what the issue is. I think I’m just cynical that international pressure (excluding the US) can change the trajectory of this conflict at this point but I appreciate that’s a negative mindset! Perhaps a widespread coordinated approach would be more effective pressure wise but I’m not sure previous attempts along those lines have been large enough to make the govt take note.