The company was started by Mark and Mo Constantine. However, they were no strangers to the industry, as they were already the largest supplier to the Body Shop before deciding to launch their own brand.
Lush is now immediately recognizable by its store design, product concept, and the distinctive “lush” scent that fills your senses as you near their stores. Soaps at the store are partly inspired by chest wedges which are priced according to their weight in Neal’s Yard in London. Bath products, meanwhile, are piled like fruit and other products imitate nature as well. Bath products are displayed in-store to closely resemble baskets of fruit, and their other products are also displayed in ways that are heavily influenced by the natural world.
The company has the same eco-friendly principles as the Body Shop. For example, they never test their products on animals and they avoid using packages which may damage the environment where possible. The Constantines also take pride in their production process. Rather than automating manufacturing, they prefer their product to be handmade. A trip through the Lush factory reveals machinery more likely to be found in the restaurant industry, such as muffin makers and other catering equipment. .
To fully understand the path in which Lush found success, it is important to understand its relationship with the Body Shop. Mark Constantine met Body Shop owner Anita Roddick when he was 22. With the opening of the second Body Shop store, Constantine gave Roddick some samples of his products, which Roddick followed up by placing a full order. In the early 90s, the retailer bought out its supplier for an estimated $9 million.
This money was spent on Cosmetics to Go, which turned out to be a failure. Fortunately, the couple decided to start again. In 2001, they conceptualized Lush Cosmetics and the rest, as they say, is history.
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