In our latest Meet The Manager feature, we chat to Sophie, manager of Lush Brighton in East Street, to talk loving the Lush life, bestselling products and how the store team are supporting the Black Lives Matter movement…
Hi Sophie! When did the Brighton store open?
Lush Brighton opened in October 1998.
Why did you want to join the team?
When the opportunity in the shop came up, it was the location that really caught my eye! The thought of living by the sea and all the incredible things people have to say about Brighton. It really is the most accepting and empowering place.
Can you tell us a little about the range of products you stock?
We’re proud to stock some of the most ethically sourced and cruelty-free cosmetics on the high street. From bath bombs, skincare to solid shampoo – customers can buy our products with confidence that they are investing in fresh handmade cosmetics made in the UK with the ethics at the heart of our business. 65% of our products are plastic packaging-free so for those looking to reduce their single-use wastage – we have so much to offer.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Working with the amazing individuals I see every day. Whether this is our creative talented Lush team who are so passionate about making people’s day to individuals who are bettering our community through local grassroots organisations.
What’s your day to day routine like? Can you tell us about a typical day?
A day to day routine involves a lot of interactions and building connections. Whether this is assisting a customer with their skincare queries or working with local grassroots charities. We’re a huge community-led shop and at the moment and with Christmas on the way a lot of work is going into virtual experiences, gifting and how we can make this Christmas incredible for our local community.
Which items are your bestsellers?
Our bestsellers include our Shampoo Bars that last 80-100 washes, Dream Cream Hand and Body Lotion which is so fabulous for soothing eczema and dry skin, and Sleepy Body Lotion which is a lavender and tonka based lotion that has proved to be really effective in nourishing the skin and having a relaxed evening and good night’s sleep.
Lush is renowned for getting active in the community. What have you guys been getting up to recently?
Our passion is our community and I like to see ourselves as a keystone species, which is a species that gives back to its environment more than it takes, an orangutan would be a great example for this. We’ve continued to be very active in our plastic grabs hoping to inspire others to take action with local litter, if we all take a shared responsibility with our local environment there’s a collective benefit for us all. One of our biggest focuses since reopening is working on our own action plan to create sustainable support and change for the Black Lives Matter movement.
We’re currently working with an incredible group called The Seigfried Collective (@seigfried.co) who support local Black and POC artists in the area. Over the last three months, we have hosted work from local Black Creatives for our community to connect with. We recently supported the Black Minority Ethnic Community Partnership with a Charity Pot event and Food Bank collection as this great group run the only B.A.M.E Food Bank in Brighton, with our customers support we raised over £650 and donated over 400 items of food and toiletries. Which just goes to show the absolute power there is in local community action.
That’s fantastic! Is there anything exciting going on that you’d like to tell us about?
Huge shout out to Aflo The Poet (@aflo.thepoet) and Priss Nash (@prissnashpoetry) who are two incredible Black Creatives who wrote and produced Wake Up a Black Lives Matter Short Film. I’d like to take this opportunity to celebrate and amplify the voices of these talented individuals and encourage others to watch the film and think about how they can best support the movement.
And finally, when you’re not working, what do you enjoy getting up to in Brilliant Brighton?!
I absolutely love making the most of the beach and seafront. Whether that’s a swim in the sea or enjoying the great views. I of course love all the vegan eats here in Brighton too. Especially loving Vurger and Moshimo, which are becoming firm favourites after a long day of selling soap.
Visit Sophie and the team at 41 East Street.
Website: http://www.lush.co.uk
