Over the next several months, Lush’s 260 U.S. stores will be undergoing a remodel that includes store layout, design and messaging, all in hopes of converting foot traffic into sales.
“Around 2021, strategy-wise, we realized that we weren’t really getting our messages out to the public [anymore],” said Michelle Field, Lush’s shop space and planning team manager and 24-year veteran of the brand. “We have so many messages about what we do in so many areas of the business [but people weren’t seeing them].”
This was partially tied to Lush’s exit from social media. In 2021, as a reaction to “the Facebook files,” which revealed the negative psychological impact of social media on young people, the company went dark on social media, leaving behind just text boxes explaining the decision to its 3.9 million Instagram followers and 211,000 TikTok followers. In the past, Lush has centered its campaigns around its values, such as the ethical treatment of animals, ethical supply chains and environmental impact.
To make up for this loss, Lush’s team reviewed its touchpoints and messaging campaigns over the past 25 years, looking for standouts and successes, and began to strategize to bring these messages into stores. The aim was to story-tell around ingredients, packaging materials, popular product ranges and lesser-known products one might not discover outside social media, like the brand’s Earth Naked mascara or Angels on Bare Skin solid cleanser.
The Lush team didn’t share its store refit budget with Glossy. However, Field noted that the brand’s sustainability goals of reusing materials and reducing waste also provide hidden savings compared to a conventional refit that requires new banners and signs.
“We’re always sort of redesigning our stores and improving, but [a need for more messaging] pushed us into this new design,” Field told Glossy. “Then we were able to look deeper to see how we can make the shop more sustainable.”
The company debuted a test run of its new layout at Simon Malls’ Brea Mall in North Orange County in January. Compared to other Lush locations, the new design is less reminiscent of a bountiful farmer’s market and more like a neat and clean grocery store. Its messaging is also more direct: Instead of clever language like “Lather up with Lush” displayed over shampoo bars, signage now speaks to the environmental impact of going plastic-free.
“I don’t know if roadshow is the right word, but over the next couple of months, we are going into shops [throughout North America updating layouts] and banners, rewriting messaging, and working with the [in-store] teams to re-merchandise,” said Field. As part of its sustainability mission, Lush uses lightboxes and reusable banners and signs that are handwritten by staff. “[The goal is] to showcase our products and ultimately drive sales.”
Lush is known for its colorful, cruelty-free bath bombs, soaps and face masks, most of which sell for under $20. Field hopes the revamp will showcase lesser-known categories like cosmetics, hair color, hair care, and body and shaving products to mall and outdoor shopping center visitors.
According to Placer.ai, a location analytics firm, foot traffic in indoor malls was up 9.4% year-over-year in June, while open-air shopping centers were up 9.9% and outlet malls saw visits up 4.5%. The firm also reported that, during June, the average visit duration at indoor malls was 71.9 minutes, the highest it’s been this year.
“In previous designs, we would have bath [products] up front [because] everyone knows us as a bath bomb store. … But with this new design, we’re trying to highlight [our best-sellers] at the back of the store to create a beautiful visual that people must pass through our other ranges to get to,” Lush’s Field told Glossy. “It’s kind of like [placing] milk at the back of the grocery store.”
Field believes that a hidden benefit of the layout change will be a reduction in bath bomb shrinkage due to damaged products. The majority of Lush’s best-selling products are “naked,” or sold without packaging, so improper handling can easily break and damage merchandise while creating a mess for shop staff. Field hopes to quell this with new horizontal racks that neatly display the products and invite less touching.
In lieu of bountiful stacks of bath bombs, various testers will be positioned at the front of the store to “lead the customer into the store and into a demo,” Field said.
Field works hand-in-hand with store managers during a refresh to ensure the layout works for each store’s unique customer base. “The flow of the unit is pretty much set in stone,” Field said. “But [managers] do have flexibility and autonomy to switch things around [to boost or maintain sales].” For example, if a store has standout sales on gift sets, Field won’t change their placement. “If sales are through the roof, I don’t want to touch where they are.”
Streamlining a store’s aesthetic by reducing sundries was also a big goal for Field. That include trays, dishes, furniture, baskets, bins and anything else that’s not necessary to message or sell the product more effectively. If they can be reused, items are shipped to a warehouse in Vancouver near Lush’s North America HQ, while others are given away. For example, unneeded items are first offered to staff for free, which unburdens the team from end-of-life management for the unneeded items, Field told Glossy.
Lush started in 1994 as a more natural alternative to commercial personal care products and has since grown to 857 stores across 51 countries worldwide, 260 of which are in North America. So far, 15 stores have received the revamp in North America. Globally, all stores will be revamped over the next few years.
The amount of work each store needs will be assessed individually. For example, newer stores may only need to be re-merchandised, which can be done in a few overnight shifts while the store is closed. Meanwhile, other locations will be shut down for a two-week-long renovation.
Success of the refresh is being measured by sales. Field told Glossy the Lush team has already seen an uptick in sales in locations with the new, more educational messaging.
Lush is privately held and headquartered in Poole, England. Lush’s gross revenue for its fiscal year 2023, which spanned from July 2022 to June 2023, was £816 million, or about $1.05 billion. Most of Lush’s North America stores are located in malls or outdoor shopping centers.
