‍👉 What Happened:

Lush cuts ties with Westfield... because even landlords aren't immune to ghosting

This week, Lush Cosmetics confirmed it's pulling all its stores out of Westfield shopping centres across Australia... as the store lease expiry dates creep up.

The bath bomb maker confirmed it won't renew 10 leases, and stores across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth will close over the next three years.

It's not leaving physical retail altogether. Standalone high-street stores and shops in regional shopping centres will remain open, alongside its website and app. Lush says the company wants to focus on "serving local communities in the right locations" and reflecting their values.

‍

👉 Background:

Lush has a history of taking the "ethical" highground

Lush is no ordinary cosmetics brand. The British company invented the bath bomb in 1989 and now operates around 870 stores worldwide, including 25 in Australia.

It's quirky products, like fizzing toothpaste and slime-like shower gel... along with its sensory in-store experiences that set Lush apart.

Lush also has a strong community and ethical ethos... with activism baked into its identity. In fact, Lush calls itself "a campaigning organisation fronted by a soap shop," with a history of bold protests against animal testing, shark finning, and other human rights and environmental issues...

• In 2006, Lush dumped two tonnes of manure outside the European Parliament in Strasbourg to protest animal testing rules.
• In 2008, Lush hung a performance artist from hooks in a shop window in a shark finning protest.
• In 2012, Lush put a woman in their London shop window to be “experimented on” in front of shoppers to make a statement against animal testing.
  

Lush has also walked away from the big platforms, taking the brand off Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Snapchat... over concerns for the impact on young people's mental health.

And in October 2025, Lush shut its Australian stores, website and Sydney factory for a day to protest the conflict in the Middle East. But get this... at some Westfield centres, its protest signs were covered up by the shopping centre.

Lush hasn’t said this is why it’s walking away from its Westfield leases…

But it has said it’s at its best when it reflects “not just the skin and haircare needs of local communities, but amplifies that community’s values and aspirations.”

‍

👉‍ Key Learning:

So now Lush is taking the high ground... to the high street

💡 If your shop is your ad, you need control over the billboard. Lush's stores are a major part of how it communicates its values. When a landlord can cover up your signs, your brand message isn't entirely yours to control.

💡 Prime foot traffic comes with strings attached. Shopping centres bring plenty of eyeballs, but landlords also set the rules around trading hours, fit-outs, and marketing levies.

💡 High-street stores may attract less foot traffic, but Lush gets greater control over its shopfront, hours, and messaging. And with 87% of Australians saying they're more likely to buy ethical products, that trade-off could work in its favour.