Lush: the CEO who is not afraid to be a “woke activist”

But his message is clear to anyone who openly rejects his values: “You should not come to my store.”

It’s a strong statement at a time when many companies avoid political or cultural debates for fear of alienating customers and putting their profits at risk.

Ben & Jerry’s has long been outspoken about its social activism, which has already led to friction with its parent company.

For Constantine, the difference lies in the structure of the company. Although Lush remains independent, he believes that selling the company means abandoning its values.

“If you sell your business to someone else, you’re demanding too much and expecting them to do everything the way you want. What should Ben and Jerry have done? They should never have sold,” he said.

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen has said he is against the sale, but maintains that because it is a publicly traded company, U.S. law leaves no alternative. According to him, the brand’s social mission was enshrined in the contract with the parent company.

“I have enormous admiration for Lush, for its values ​​and for the way in which it uses its most powerful tool – its own voice – to defend them,” Cohen told the BBC, after the Mark Constantine podcast interview. Interview with the big bossof the BBC, adding: “I’m not ‘asking’ for anything.”

In an interview with the BBC podcast, amid the intense preparations for Christmas, Constantine said that preparing for the holidays is “a bit like going to war”.

“You have your troops, your supplies. Everything is organized and ready. The only question is when the attack will take place,” he said.

He suggests, in a humorous tone, that men tend to go out more to buy last-minute gifts, noting that the company sees a lot of male customers “who come into the store on Christmas Eve and say they are regular customers.”

But for Constantine, the key to attracting consumers is above all to make retail “fun”.

Lush has turned shopping into an experience, with offers such as spa treatments and parties for customers.

According to him, initiatives of this type can help to contain the decline of traditional shopping streets.

While some in the business world say that increasing employer contributions to National Insurance – the UK’s pension system – and the minimum wage could lead to a hiring freeze, Constantine sees the move differently.

“This is good news for everyone and positive for the economy, because it means more money flowing directly to the grassroots,” he said.

“Those who benefit from these increases are at the bottom of the pyramid.”

“I am happy to pay this additional amount to bring salaries back to an appropriate level, and I think that is worth celebrating.”

However, Lush’s salary history is not without its flaws. In 2020, the company admitted to paying lower wages than what was owed to employees in Australia, failing to transfer more than US$4 million (around R$20 million) over nearly a decade. After the podcast interview Big bossa company spokesperson told the BBC: “We made mistakes, identified those mistakes and paid what we owed, while ensuring they don’t happen again.”

The same year, Lush also faced reports of poor working conditions at its Australian factory. The spokesperson added: “Since these concerns were raised, we have quickly developed an action plan to resolve the issues. »

Lush is a privately held company owned by six co-founders, Mark Constantine and his wife, Mo Constantine, as well as Rowena Bird, Helen Ambrosen, Liz Bennett and Paul Greeves, all of whom were responsible for founding the company in 1995 and have continued to operate ever since.

Two of Constantine’s three children also work in the business, which particularly pleases the manager, who believes that the family is at the heart of a successful business and fundamental to its longevity.

“Family businesses offer better returns on investment across the board,” he concluded, saying they last longer because they can survive both good times and bad times.

It’s a lesson he says he learned from the late Dame Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, where it all began for Constantine in 1977, when she began manufacturing and supplying products to Roddick stores.

However, he said the Government did not understand “the strength of family businesses”, after announcing that from April 2026, family business assets above £1m would be subject to inheritance tax when transferred to relatives.

According to Constantine, this measure will force many owners to sell their businesses, which represents “the real concern in the succession process”.

A UK Treasury spokesperson said the government was “business friendly”, pointing out that it had kept corporation tax capped at 25% and encouraged reforms to commercial property tax.

“Currently, 53% of the tax break known as the Commercial Property Relief – equivalent to £533 million (around 3.3 billion reais) – benefits only 158 properties. Our reforms will direct these resources towards essential public services,” the spokesperson said.

Despite this, Constantine remains optimistic about the future of physical in-store commerce.

But he believes modern retail would benefit from a return to the traditional values ​​that once defined the sector in the UK, particularly innovation and kindness.

“I like serving. I like that Jeeves feeling,” he says with a smile, citing the English fictional character known for his zeal with his bosses.