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If there\u2019s one thing Lush is known for, it\u2019s experiential retail.<\/span><\/p>\n Whether it\u2019s bath bomb demonstrations in stores or one of its birthday parties \u2013 where organisers can choose from a \u201cfun and games\u201d or \u201ctreat yourself\u201d theme \u2013 the cosmetics brand is a master of centring its stores around experiences and fun product discovery.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The company\u2019s Liverpool store alone, which is its biggest shop in the world, offers customers spa treatments, work events, a coffee shop, florist, hairdresser, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n And as experiential retail grows in popularity, it presents Lush with increasing opportunities for exciting new innovations \u2013 as well as rising competition from rival brands.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThings have never just been products on a shelf\u201d\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Things have changed a lot since Lush launched its first store more than 30 years ago in Poole.<\/span><\/p>\n However, Lush head of retail UK&I Kasey Swithenbank points out that even back then, its founders were \u201cprobably ahead of their time\u201d when it came to \u201call of those initiatives that we see adopted a fair bit today\u201d when they \u201cexperimented with refill stations\u201d in store.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThings have never just been products on a shelf at Lush,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe actually try and strip as much of that packaging away as possible and that in itself is an experience because you don\u2019t get that when you go into other shops.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut the actual overall atmosphere of the shop is an experience, even down to the music since every shop dictates their own music playlist, those staff on the shop floor have personally selected those songs for their customers.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI talk a lot about this recipe and it\u2019s definitely not one thing that makes up the experience in a Lush shop, it really does encompass everything, and really importantly the staff are a huge part of that experience.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Experiential offerings in 2026<\/b><\/p>\n Looking ahead for the rest of the year, Swithenbank reveals that Lush has plenty more experiential retail plans in the works.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve recently done a lot of training on different services we can offer our customers in store,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAt the moment there\u2019s a big emphasis on fragrance readings and consultations so customers can find their perfect scent.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe offer our customers the ability to try our skincare products on their actual face in store with our freshen up skincare services.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n She also notes that the retailer will be launching a Lush Events feature on its app at the end of April.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCustomers will be able to book events that are happening in their local store, whether that\u2019s different workshops and consultation style events or perhaps they want to try their hand at making their own bath bomb,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n She adds: \u201cWe\u2019ve done a lot on parties, birthday parties, we\u2019ve even had a divorce party, we do spa parties in our spa locations, and the shops have actually developed in-store events themselves where they offer something a bit more unique to the customers visiting.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Ultimately, she points out: \u201cA trip into a Lush shop isn\u2019t necessarily just transactional, but you can come and make a memory with your loved ones.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Despite being experts in the field, experiential retail is growing in popularity, meaning Lush may need to work harder to stand out from the crowd.<\/span><\/p>\n In March,<\/span> Rightmove Commercial reported<\/span> that experiential retail was \u201cthe key reason\u201d for \u201cstrong recovery\u201d of the retail sector, despite the industry being \u201cfar from the preferred commercial asset class for investors\u201d at the start of the decade.<\/span><\/p>\n It also highlighted that the UK\u2019s physical retail sector was \u201cevolving rather than disappearing\u201d and that experiential retail was \u201cat the centre of this evolution\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n Despite increasing competition, Lush continues to have a cult following of loyal fans, largely due to its position as an ethical brand and its political activism.<\/span><\/p>\n The company recently partnered with the Migrants\u2019 Rights Network to launch a nationwide public awareness and fundraising campaign aimed at highlighting the \u201cgrowing use of racist narratives\u201d. The brand also closed all of its UK shops, factories and website for a day in September in protest over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Additionally, Lush signed out of all of its Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat social media accounts in 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t believe those platforms do enough to safeguard the general public and the evidence is out there that they do have a damning effect on people\u2019s mental health\u201d Swithenbank explains.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe just didn\u2019t think that those values sat alongside our values and we weren\u2019t prepared to be on them ourselves.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The exec says there is \u201cno denying\u201d that its \u201cdecision to stay true to our values\u201d will have potentially had a \u201cknock on effect\u201d on its footfall sales.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere is a cost of being an ethical business and staying true to your values and as a result we will lose money,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut ultimately that is what I believe is going to help us stand the test of time and help our customers know that we really are who we say we are.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In terms of its competitors in experiential retail, Swithenbank insists: \u201cUltimately, in Lush we know what we\u2019re good at, and that is fresh handmade cosmetics, and we know that we\u2019re also a lot of fun and that\u2019s why our customers shop with us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSo we just concentrate on making sure that we can bring our fresh, handmade cosmetics \u2013 the freshest cosmetics on the high street \u2013 to our customers in a really fun and engaging way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe still get the odd teeth marks in our soap\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n UK shoppers know that Lush\u2019s store staff have a reputation for being very friendly and helpful.<\/span><\/p>\n Explaining why, the exec says: \u201cSome of our customers actually don\u2019t know whether to wash with our products or eat them.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEven today we still get the odd teeth marks in our soap. That\u2019s why we take our approach to customer service so seriously.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe want to make sure that when a customer spends their hard earned money on our products, they take it home knowing exactly how to use it and how to get the full benefit of that product.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n She adds: \u201cIt would be very easy for us to just put one or two staff members on our shop floors and let customers come in and pick up products.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut we live today in such a digital world, and as human beings it is in our nature to communicate and to experience the world through the eyes of each other, not just ourselves. So that experience that we offer in store goes much deeper than just a retail transaction.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Investment in an omnichannel approach<\/b><\/p>\n Although the majority of Lush\u2019s sales come from its physical portfolio, Swithenbank says that its digital platforms are \u201cgrowing\u201d and that it\u2019s \u201cinvesting a lot in a slightly more omnichannel approach to retailing\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOver the last few years we\u2019ve invested heavily in the technology that allows us to offer click and collect, to allow customers to order in store and it gets delivered if that store doesn\u2019t have that product in stock.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n She also says that the company has launched a number of technologies from the \u201cLush Lens\u201d feature on its app.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Since many of its items are packaging-free, she explains: \u201cIf a customer orders something at home they can actually use their app to scan that product and the product will pop up and tell them exactly how to use it and the benefits of the product.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThey can use that in store as well if they prefer to shop alone and want to discover the products on their own.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Despite investing in omnichannel, the sensory nature of Lush\u2019s products means shoppers will always want to come and see, smell and test them in person.<\/p>\n And as masters of experiential retail, it\u2019ll be exciting to see what the cosmetics giant thinks of next.<\/p>\n![\"Lush\"](\"https:\/\/www.retailgazette.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/shutterstock_2432182923.jpg.webp)
\n<\/picture>\nShe adds: \u201cWhen I talk about experiential retail, yes it\u2019s about the events and getting hands on with the products, demoing the products and being able to make your own bath bomb.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Lush\"](\"https:\/\/www.retailgazette.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/lush-parties.jpg.webp)
\n<\/picture>\nIncreased opportunities and competition<\/b><\/p>\n![\"Lush\"](\"https:\/\/www.retailgazette.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/UK_MRN_Window_Mock_Core_Large.002_20394b8efd.webp\")