What's the deal with Lush?

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I don't shop there, never have, but I have taken my DD there for the odd birthday party so I have always thought the target market was tweens. My DD has just turned 11 and was given a £30 Lush voucher. I took her to our local shop yesterday to spend it. The shop was almost empty as the football match hadn't quite ended yet. I thought my DD could spend her time perusing the items and then making her choices. Except as soon as we walked in we were approached by a sales assistant who appeared to be on speed and didn't stop talking for the next 5 minutes. We thanked him for his sales pitch assistance and said we were going to have a browse and then decide. He said that was fine so we continued looking at the products when quite literally 30 seconds later another sales assistant hounded us, it cannot be described any other way, and did not stop talking at us for the next 10 minutes. I honestly don't know why I didn't find any assertiveness in me and asked her to give us 5 minutes to look at the products in peace. I felt stressed out and my DD went quiet. In the end my DD ended up spending half her money on two products I am not sure she even wanted. I have not experienced such an aggressive sales technique in a really long time. I was also shocked by their prices. Perhaps I got this wrong but I feel their products are quite expensive for what I thought was their target market?

And one more thing. My DD had her voucher in her new purse in her new handbag, and I encouraged her to go to the till and do the transaction by herself. Except the sales assistant kept talking to me, and she didn't shut up, and she even asked if we wanted to give money to charity. I had to answer on behalf of my DD who was the one paying, so I said NO, and then she asked my DD if she wanted to receive the receipt by email. WTF is wrong with this shop??

I hate that shop!!! Why don't you email them and complain OP, that's unfair on your DD buying something because they wouldn't leave you to browse yourself and choose yourselves what you wanted,

I remember going in with my friend a few years ago and the same thing happened with me ended up spending £60 and was told "this was made by this person bla bla bla bla bla"

I avoid that shop now!!
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Lots of places do email receipts now - I prefer it as I always lose them anyway! They giftaid stuff so again that’s why you’d have been asked.

They can be a little over friendly in there but a pleasant “I’m good thank you I’m just looking” tends to make them back off.

Lush are very proud of who they are and as they don’t advertise they tend to work on their customers instead. I like it but can see why people might not!

I shop there as I’m quite selective in products as I try to get cruelty free stuff where I can and I’m also hooked on their shampoo bars!

The fact you both spent more money than you wanted is down to their sales pitch to be honest.
Lush staff are pressured to approach customers and hard sell, from what I’ve heard they are not treated well at all

I don’t think tweens are their target market at all.

I've complained about a lush store before, i went in for christmas presents as I usually do and I literally felt so suffocated by the different members of staff constantly talking at me while I was browsing I left empty handed and haven't been back in. I've experienced this in a different store as well, wasn't as bad but still they carried on! I don't think they realise how off putting it is! It's bad enough the headache I get from the bowls of overpowering stuff they place everywhere!

I just say I’m ok thanks and don’t engage it works

I think their target market is 14-30, really, judging by the cost of products and the language used in product descriptions.
I am considerably older than 30 but like Lush, but I've got a very thick skin when it comes to sales patter so it doesn't really bother me.

Next time you go (if there IS a next time), perfect the, "Thanks, I'm just browsing" response and don't feel rude by turning your back and walking away. Help your dd do this too; it's a useful life skill to acquire.

I do understand that a lot of shops do the email receipt thing but it was clear this was an experience for my DD, she was the one spending her voucher and that question, as well as the charity one, was inappropriate.
Oh and another thing, the gift card that was sent to my DD cost £4 to post. £4!!!!!!
I don't think I will ever return to that shop to be honest. The 'customer service' was incredibly off putting, very aggressive and actually quite old fashioned.

I've never gone in. The smell is overpowering.

Ugh, I hate all that. I assume they think I'm there for a quick shoplift when they're that involved with me.

I guess it depends which store you go to and also whether you’re just browsing or actually want to buy something specific and would like their advice. If you’re just browsing, then say “We’re just looking, thanks. But we’ll ask if we have any questions.” I went into my local Lush yesterday and it was quiet but I didn’t feel pressurised by the salesperson. She had a lot of knowledge about the products and gave advice on which face wash and solid shampoo was good for my skin and hair type. I went in to buy those two products specifically, but ended up buying more; not because I was pressurised (I said I would browse after I’d chosen the shampoo and face wash and she left me to it) but because I wanted to treat myself and use some nice products while I’m on holiday next week. I wasn’t asked about the email receipt or donation to charity, but that wouldn’t have bothered me either. I would have politely declined both, as I have done in other stores. I haven’t felt any judgement or annoyance from staff members when I’ve done so. It’s all in a day’s work for them - they have to ask and you can say no. My DD was also with me and she isn’t very socially confident. It’s good for her to watch and learn how to be polite yet assertive and know that everything really is okay afterwards. Please don’t abandon future Lush visits (I promise I don’t work for them!) but instead go back with your DD and model being assertive yet polite.

Why was it inappropriate? Loads of shops ask for email addresses now - I got asked in New Look last week and their target market is certainly younger than me - and most people have one. I don’t see why it’s inappropriate - they’re trying to save on paper.

I had never been in until about 6 months ago, to get a “tween” birthday present. I have always found the smell really overpowering. Having been in, I found the customer assistance overpowering too. I won’t be going back probably until dd fraghs me in when she is a teenager

Since Lush's appalling ad campaign against the police I wouldn't set foot inside one of their stores ever again.
The whole set up with this company seems very bizarre. Hopefully they will be the next victim of the decline in High Street shops.

When I was a waitress I quickly learned that if I smiled and touched the bill payer on the shoulder as I gave them the bill it massively increased my tips.

If someone did that to me they wouldn’t get a tip at all. DD was a waitress for years and hated being touched by customers so there’s no way she would have done it to them, bigger tips or not.

Since Lush's appalling ad campaign against the police I wouldn't set foot inside one of their stores ever again

Same here.

There was also a thing last year where they made their sales assistance wear tshirts with “come and get a kiss” (or something similar) on it. The poor girls were unindated with nasty perves, trying to kiss and touch them. I read that those staff who said they didn’t want to wear the shirts were told they’d be sacked!

I'm considerably older than 30 and have been a regular Lush customer for many years, I love how friendly, helpful and knowledgeable the staff are but not sure I'd have appreciated it at 11. The email thing happens in lots of shops now, saves a lot of paper and ink.

@fruityb they're not trying to save paper, they're collecting your data.

I agree with Lindy2. The police campaign really put me off (although I support the Spy Cops campaign wholeheartedly). It’s a shame as I love their products.

When it comes to their staff approach I actually used to prefer going when it was quite busy as you get left alone more! The brand does have a weird almost culty feel to it.

I’ve never had anything sent to my email other than receipts so they’re obviously not doing a good job there!

I used to shop a lot at Lush and never felt pressurised because I don't feel anxious about saying "I'm good thanks" and simply starting to browse. It's something I learnt from my parents and it's a very important life skill imo. I'd make sure you teach your DD how to escape an overpowering salesperson.
I no longer shop at Lush now because I think most of their products are crap and the decent ones are overpriced.

There campaigning finished me off. Shame as I really liked some of their products.

I used to work at lush many years ago, the staff there are told to approach and talk to customers, show them the products, demo, and ask opening questions which you can't really answer "leave me alone" or similar to

I hated it at first, but you get used to it. However I also realised when people wanted to be left alone to shop and would leave them to it. Bear in mind staff will be being asked 'have you approached that customer' by managers and if they haven't talked to you or done a demo it will go against them. A lot of them are temps and competition for permanent jobs is rife (even though they are still on a zero hours contract - though this may have changed since I left).

I love LUSH! I always have a good chinwag with them when I go in. I love they they're heavily into reducing packaging.
I love the smell! I've always said that when the kids were at school I'd love a part time job in LUSH but I think I'm too old and crusty for their usual target range of employees.