Lush co-founder takes satisfaction in being a ‘woke nerd’ | EUROtoday

Most corporations and managers would squirm on the concept of being referred to as “woke” and will even regard it as an insult. But not Mark Constantine.

Lush’s outspoken co-founder and chief government wears it like a badge of honour and isn’t ashamed of turning it right into a enterprise philosophy.

The agency is famend for placing activism on the coronary heart of its vibrant bathtub bombs enterprise, tackling a variety of points from trans rights to police accountability.

The 73-year-old remains to be steering the empire with the identical rules which have outlined its three a long time on the High Street, which has seen it develop from a small Dorset retailer into a worldwide model with 869 shops and an annual turnover of £690m.

Lush has taken among the boldest stances in British retail together with shutting down a few of its social media accounts over considerations concerning the influence on younger individuals, and extra not too long ago closing shops for a day to protest in opposition to hunger in Gaza.

“I like being woke,” admits Constantine.

A self-confessed “over-achiever and a nerd” who loves studying, he’s up earlier than the morning time for his principal ardour – writing about birdsong – in between his meditation and Alexander method, a remedy for good posture and motion.

But his message is crystal clear to those that overtly resent his values: “You shouldn’t come in my shop.”

It’s a robust assertion in an period when many companies keep away from political or cultural debates for concern of alienating prospects and risking income.

Ben & Jerry’s has lengthy worn its social activism on its sleeve, which has induced stress with its dad or mum firm.

Where Lush has remained an impartial agency, Constantine believes promoting out means sacrificing the enterprise’s values.

“If you’ve sold your business to someone else, I think you’re asking a lot for them to do everything you want. What should Ben and Jerry have done? They should never have sold.”

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen maintains they have been against promoting however as a publicly-traded firm, says US laws compelled their hand and the model’s social mission was written into the contract with the dad or mum firm.

“I have a huge appreciation for Lush, their values, and how they use their most powerful tool – their voice – to advocate for those values,” Cohen instructed the BBC, following Constantine’s Big Boss interview, including, “I’m not ‘asking’ for anything.”

Speaking to the BBC’s Big Boss Interview podcast within the busy run-up to Christmas, Lush’s Constantine says making ready for the festive interval is “very like war”.

“You have your troops, you have your supplies. Everything’s organised and ready. And then it’s just a question of when will the onslaught occur?”

He means that males could also be extra prone to be out shopping for last-minute presents, saying with amusing the corporate sees quite a lot of males “who come in on Christmas Eve and tell us they’re regulars”.

But the important thing to attracting customers within the first place is by making retail “fun”, says Constantine.

Lush has turned buying into extra of an expertise with choices akin to spa therapies and events for purchasers.

And it is experiences akin to these that might assist reverse the High Street’s declining prospects, he believes.

While some enterprise leaders have advised {that a} rise in employers’ National Insurance contributions and within the minimal wage might lead to hiring freezes, Constantine views it in a different way.

“It’s good news for everyone and it’s good for the economy because you’ve got more money coming into the economy at the biggest point.

“The people who find themselves getting these raises are on the backside.

“I’m delighted to pay the extra money to get the staff up to a proper level, and I think we should celebrate that.”

However Lush’s pay file will not be with out blemish. In 2020, it admitted to underpaying its Australian staff greater than $4m over practically a decade. An organization spokesperson instructed the BBC after the Big Boss interview: “We made mistakes, we found those mistakes and have paid the money we owed, and we are ensuring those errors cannot happen again.”

In the identical 12 months Lush confronted claims of poor working circumstances at its Australian manufacturing unit. The spokesperson added: “Since these concerns were raised we swiftly developed an action plan to address the areas of concern.”

Lush is privately owned by all six co-founders – Constantine and his spouse Mo, Rowena Bird, Helen Ambrosen, Liz Bennett and Paul Greeves – all of whom began the enterprise in 1995 and have remained lively since.

Two of Constantine’s three kids additionally work for the corporate, which is especially pleasing for a person who believes household is on the coronary heart of a profitable enterprise and is essential to longevity.

“Family businesses give better returns on investment at every level,” he says, claiming they last more as a result of they trip out the great occasions and the dangerous.

It’s a lesson he realized from the late Dame Anita Roddick, founding father of The Body Shop the place all of it started for Constantine in 1977 – manufacturing and supplying merchandise to Roddick’s shops.

However, he says the federal government doesn’t perceive “the strength of family businesses” after it introduced that from April 2026 household enterprise property of greater than £1m will face inheritance tax when handed on to relations.

He believes this tax will pressure many house owners to promote up, which is the “real worry on succession”.

A spokesperson for the Treasury mentioned the federal government was “pro-business”, stating that it had capped company tax at 25% and was reforming enterprise charges.

“Right now, 53% of Business Property Relief – worth £533m – goes to just 158 estates. Our reforms will channel that funding into vital public services,” the spokesperson mentioned.

Nevertheless, Constantine stays bullish about the way forward for bricks-and-mortar buying.

But he thinks trendy retailing would profit from a return to the old style values that when outlined British retail, particularly innovation and kindness.

“I like to serve. I like the Jeeves kind of feeling,” he says with a smile.