Mon, 22 Dec 2025

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 Lush co-founder takes pride in being a 'woke nerd'

Mark Constantine tells the BBC he enjoys being a woke nerd and discusses why he backs the High Street and family-run businesses.
Mark Constantine, co-founder and CEO of Lush, proudly wears the label "woke" as a badge of honor and views it as an integral part of his company's business philosophy. He believes that activism should be at the heart of every business, citing issues such as trans rights and police accountability as examples of causes that Lush has taken a stance on. Constantine, 73, has been leading the company for over three decades, and under his leadership, Lush has grown from a small Dorset store to a global brand with 869 outlets and an annual turnover of £690m. He is known for taking bold stances, such as shutting down social media accounts due to concerns about their impact on young people and closing stores to protest against starvation in Gaza. Despite criticism from some who see Lush's activism as polarizing, Constantine remains unapologetic. "You shouldn't come into my shop" if you don't share our values, he says. He believes that selling out to a larger company would mean sacrificing the business's core values and principles. Lush has been praised by some for its commitment to social activism, including Ben & Jerry's co-founder Ben Cohen, who notes that Lush uses its voice to advocate for important causes. However, Constantine also acknowledges that the company has made mistakes in the past, such as underpaying workers in Australia and facing claims of poor working conditions. Despite these challenges, Constantine remains optimistic about the future of bricks-and-mortar shopping and believes that family-owned businesses have a unique advantage due to their ability to ride out economic fluctuations. He also argues that modern retail would benefit from a return to traditional values such as innovation and kindness. In addition to its social activism, Lush has been experimenting with new ways to make shopping more enjoyable and experiential, offering spa treatments and events for customers. Constantine believes that this approach could help reverse the decline of high streets and restore shopping to its former glory.
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