I made a mistake of going into Lush and trying to buy...

[Underthestairsbears]

Something for a guy...!!!

I just popped into my local Lush, they used to have a 'bloke section' so I kept wandering around looking for it...
Of course one of the helpful assistants came over and asked if she could help.
I said "oh I can't find your bloke section "

Poor young woman looked rather pale and launched into her "oh we don't have a men's section. It's all inclusive "
Lovely, so I asked where I might find something that might appeal to a teenage boy.

The only thing she could point me towards was a "beard cream" and I explained he didn't have a beard!

She then dragged another more senior young lady over... who then started on and on about being inclusive and how everything in LUSH us for everyone....it as I tried to escape....!

I tried to see if they had gift sets that might appeal to him....

Ok, it didn't need to be masculine per se but honestly it's like they've eradicated men from LUSH...

I'm not sure if that's the look they were going for...and also isn't it usually the other way round 🙄

Couldn't make head nor tail of it but I didn't escape easily.... literally had to hot foot it out of there quickly to avoid another encounter!

Does anyone else find it's getting harder to shop efficiently for what you want because things have to be so woke...

I'm with pp - the fact that they used to have (pointlessly) gendered products is neither here nor there. They have seen the light. Halleluja.

My experience of Lush is the overpowering aroma that hits you two streets away. It is bad enough trying to walk past the shop, I dread to imagine how bad it is inside.

Fine for them to not segregate products into "men" and "women" but if asked "what would suit a teenage boy?" they should be able to respond "well this is quite popular at the moment". Giving a customer a lecture on the 'error of thy ways' is not the way to run a business.

To be honest though, for most men soap is soap. You may as well buy a tub of Swarfega.

I got halfway up the shop and my knees gave way. My husband had to hold me up till we got to a bench further down the street. The assault on my senses had almost made me pass out.

I'm not sure if I've ever managed to reach the entrance through the surrounding anti-nasal defence zone. Our local one had the tactical advantage of being in an enclosed mall with less airflow, making breaching the perimeter even more challenging.

I think I might have made it in once, but my recollection is hazy. I'm not doing to do the À la recherche du temps perdu thing to try to find out what memories I've lost. It might be like Total Recall/We Will Remember it for you Wholesale, and it's better off I don't know...

inclusivity and anti-jkr

So not inclusive then...

Just go in the website and look at the product ingredients then go back armed with the knowledge of what you want.

what would suit a teenage boy?

Because all teenage boys are the same?

I have thick curly hair, so I generally buy their shampoos and conditioners that are aimed at people with thick curly hair. It really doesn't matter whether I have a penis or a vagina.

I think it's a really positive step that they aren't gendering their products anymore.

most of the stuff comes in black tubs or brown paper packaging, I mean what different things would they make for guys?

@Lovelyricepudding

inclusivity and anti-jkr

So not inclusive then...

Misogyny.

@Thatsplentyjack

most of the stuff comes in black tubs or brown paper packaging, I mean what different things would they make for guys?

Something that smells of burnt rubber and sweat, they can call it Fragile Masculinity.

If LUSH are so desperate to be inclusive, maybe they should try being inclusive of people who want to browse in peace and don't want to be followed around the store, grabbed and have things rubbed on them without so much as a by-your-leave.

I actually love their products, but as someone with mild social anxiety who enjoys browsing but doesn't like to interact with sales staff (apart from asking questions if necessary, and paying) and DEFINITELY doesn't want strangers touching me to try and sell me something, I won't shop instore now. There's almost a cultish feel to the experience sometimes. Surely it must put a lot of people off.

I know I've veered off topic here, but the 'inclusive' claim does make me laugh. I seem to remember a post on here once by someone with autism who found the experience horrible.

@NecessaryScene

The scents in lush appeal to anyone.

Um.

That smell that floats down the street before your eyes are blinded by the bright colours that give you a UTI just looking at them ?

"What would suit a teenage boy" is asking the assistant to tell you what is popular with that demographic at the moment. It's not suggesting that all teenage boys like the same thing. Lots of cosmetics companies do a teen skin range too, so it's also a reasonable question from that point of view.

@NecessaryScene

The scents in lush appeal to anyone.

Um.

I can't think of anything worse the whole shop stinks 😷

The poor kids probably both worked there about two seconds and doubt they will want to stay two seconds more once they realise what the general public is like.

And yet when it comes to 'torturing' scantily clad women in the window it is very much women only... how bizarre
veganfeministnetwork.com/lush/

@Tilltheend99

The poor kids probably both worked there about two seconds and doubt they will want to stay two seconds more once they realise what the general public is like.

Not cut out for a sales role then if they can't stand the "general public". Also known as customers. The ones with the money that Lush wants to part them from.

[quote DdraigGoch]Fine for them to not segregate products into "men" and "women" but if asked "what would suit a teenage boy?" they should be able to respond "well this is quite popular at the moment". Giving a customer a lecture on the 'error of thy ways' is not the way to run a business.

To be honest though, for most men soap is soap. You may as well buy a tub of Swarfega.

[/quote] But how would they know what would suit a teenage boy? Surely when you go to lush you have a rough idea of what you're looking for in a product, not just "guy stuff" seems a bit weird. How would they know if he needed products for spots, hair products, dry skin products.

Not cut out for a sales role then if they can't stand the "general public". Also known as customers. The ones with the money that Lush wants to part them from.

Rule 1 of Woke retail. The customer is always a bigot.

(If you're working there, of course. If you're a customer, the staff member is always a bigot).

I wrote Lush off due to a mix of the promotion of their 'cruelty free kisses' and Spycops campaigns. Their ethics truly are a repugnant as the stench that emits from their stores.

I don't totally agree that soap is soap and isn't aimed at a particular market. I think different scents probably complement different pheromones which will change as we age as well as our sense of smell.

Lush shops are overwhelming at the best of times and it's hard to pick out an individual scent in the chaos. That's why it was useful to have a separate "men's" section. Its where I would look for products that might appeal to a person who shaves/has a beard, has short or less hair or who might prefer a scent based on herbs or essential oils as opposed to fruit or flowers.

I'm sure there are men who like pink, glittery, lavender scented bath bombs but I can find that by closing my eyes and touching any random shelf in Superdrug. The benefit of a "men's section" is to help you find gifts for the people who don't want rainbow fairy sparkles, and for shops to isolate absurd quantities of Lynx Africa in one area so it doesn't contaminate the whole shop.

You are right they used to have mans section
Because I used to buy workmans hand cream and body scrub for my boys but oh no let's be pc and not mention gender jesus its getting mad now.even clarks wont say girl or boy shoes .they said they are all inclusive when I asked .when pressed why she said we are told to describe children are they them or it jings I was only enquiring about trainers .so out we go I am not having my granddaughters described as it . But anyway lush has a lurid green range not sure the name it may appeal to boys

I completely agree, I would much rather be left in peace. But as op has proved most people need to be told what they want.

Here you go OP - these are the kinds of things we buy for my teen son:

these are fun to use and not girly looking
www.lush.com/uk/en/p/bat-art-bath-bomb

www.lush.com/uk/en/p/lord-of-misrule

www.lush.com/uk/en/p/ectoplasm-shower-slime

this is good for teen skin
www.lush.com/uk/en/p/mask-of-magnaminty-face-and-body-mask
as is this
www.lush.com/uk/en/p/ocean-salt-face-and-body-scrub

these are blokey looking soaps
www.lush.com/uk/en/p/outback-mate-soap

www.lush.com/uk/en/p/sea-vegetable-soap

wrapped up in
www.lush.com/uk/en/p/the-big-ski-knot-wrap

You probably wanted either Dirty Springwash or Lord of Misrule if you were after more 'masculine' scents. I'm surprised they didn't just ask you though what types of smells he'd like - i.e. fruity, spicy, etc.