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(Date of visit: August 30, 2006) – Located behind the famously posh Liberty department store on London's historically hip shopping
lane, Carnaby Street's Lush is one of the city's busiest yet also one of the most pleasant. That's a difficult task for any prime location to
pull off, yet somehow the staff and management succeed admirably (and though, in the name of fairness, I'm making certain to base
my review on one specific "surprise visit", I can't help but note that they have done so consistently since I first ventured into this location
back in 2003.) Of course, credit must also be given the location scout who landed Lush this spectacular piece of real estate in the first
place, as well as those who were responsible for fitting it. The first thing you notice on approach is the bright, traditionally English
store front, topped by a classic brick second floor with European window boxes filled with vibrant flowers, this being part of the appeal
of Carnaby Street itself and a pleasant change from Lush's modern fronts found in more recently built malls, most with a stark black
metal exterior as opposed to Carnaby Street's cheery yellow. The second thing you notice as you're drawn in like a child to a candy
shop, is the massive amount of floor space: despite this being a heavily trafficked location, you immediately realize that you'll never
want for personal space, with ample room to browse at your leisure at all times. All product displays tidily line the store's edges, with
several round, multi-tiered displays located in the centre of the vast floor, which allow you to travel full circle without bumping into
anyone (and this even when everyone's in a trance-like state, "oohing and aahing" over a new range of hypnotizing, glitter encrusted
Bubble Bars.) No matter how many shoppers fill the store, the staff are never too busy to greet and meet individual customers, always
doing so with a non-invasive style that, rather than giving you the hard sell, merely conveys their contagious enthusiasm for the
products themselves. Watching them interact with those around me, questions such as "are you familiar with our Bio Fresh masks"
are reserved for those who genuinely appear intrigued, the staff's instincts for walking the fine line between helpfulness and
overbearance being impeccable at all times. Engage them, and they won't give you the typically trite product training run-down that
you're used to getting from most cosmetics brands. These people are hardcore Lushies, using the products religiously (and
creatively), genuinely believing in the items and ethics that they're selling. (And if you can, try to visit when their new Italian sales
associate, Renaldo, is working, as he will no doubt make your visit to Lush the most entertaining and unforgettable to date. Just look
for the bloke with the long Caca Marron-ed locks with to die for curls. He'll not only teach you how to get gorgeous hair like his, but if
you join him in proudly celebrating each time he skillfully manages to cut a dead-on 100g slice of soap at a customer's request, he
might even take the time to direct you to the best Italian restaurants and pizza joints in London.) For those shoppers who prefer to
quietly explore products on their own, due to so many people toying with customarily unwrapped merchandise, you may occasionally
find over-handled Bath Ballistics at the back of the store (a problem easily solved by grabbing one from deeper in the pile -- much like
you'd do with produce when hand picking the freshest, most attractive piece of fruit on offer). And it's easy to spot which creams don't
sell quite as quickly: their barely touched testers tend to have an oxidized layer on top, this being a universal problem at Lush due to
their opting to use full-sized, open pots as testers rather than smaller closed containers or pumps with a higher turnover rate.
Conversely, this also leads to popular products' testers getting a bit gloppy at busier Lush locations such as this, with the salespeople
only being able to do so much to constantly maintain them while simultaneously chatting up massive influxes of customers from all
over the globe. After you've chatted to the salespeople as if they were your childhood friends, inevitably spending the month's
mortgage cheque (it being neigh on impossible to leave this store without being excitedly inspired to guiltlessly do so), make sure to
grab a copy of their newsprint catalogue titled "The Lush Times" on your way out, cleverly hanging from an inviting chrome news
agent's rack on the back of the front door (easily accessible and free to both shoppers and passersby alike), before heading next door
to pay a visit to Lush's sister company, B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful Parfumerie, at what is by far the best of their three locations.
lane, Carnaby Street's Lush is one of the city's busiest yet also one of the most pleasant. That's a difficult task for any prime location to
pull off, yet somehow the staff and management succeed admirably (and though, in the name of fairness, I'm making certain to base
my review on one specific "surprise visit", I can't help but note that they have done so consistently since I first ventured into this location
back in 2003.) Of course, credit must also be given the location scout who landed Lush this spectacular piece of real estate in the first
place, as well as those who were responsible for fitting it. The first thing you notice on approach is the bright, traditionally English
store front, topped by a classic brick second floor with European window boxes filled with vibrant flowers, this being part of the appeal
of Carnaby Street itself and a pleasant change from Lush's modern fronts found in more recently built malls, most with a stark black
metal exterior as opposed to Carnaby Street's cheery yellow. The second thing you notice as you're drawn in like a child to a candy
shop, is the massive amount of floor space: despite this being a heavily trafficked location, you immediately realize that you'll never
want for personal space, with ample room to browse at your leisure at all times. All product displays tidily line the store's edges, with
several round, multi-tiered displays located in the centre of the vast floor, which allow you to travel full circle without bumping into
anyone (and this even when everyone's in a trance-like state, "oohing and aahing" over a new range of hypnotizing, glitter encrusted
Bubble Bars.) No matter how many shoppers fill the store, the staff are never too busy to greet and meet individual customers, always
doing so with a non-invasive style that, rather than giving you the hard sell, merely conveys their contagious enthusiasm for the
products themselves. Watching them interact with those around me, questions such as "are you familiar with our Bio Fresh masks"
are reserved for those who genuinely appear intrigued, the staff's instincts for walking the fine line between helpfulness and
overbearance being impeccable at all times. Engage them, and they won't give you the typically trite product training run-down that
you're used to getting from most cosmetics brands. These people are hardcore Lushies, using the products religiously (and
creatively), genuinely believing in the items and ethics that they're selling. (And if you can, try to visit when their new Italian sales
associate, Renaldo, is working, as he will no doubt make your visit to Lush the most entertaining and unforgettable to date. Just look
for the bloke with the long Caca Marron-ed locks with to die for curls. He'll not only teach you how to get gorgeous hair like his, but if
you join him in proudly celebrating each time he skillfully manages to cut a dead-on 100g slice of soap at a customer's request, he
might even take the time to direct you to the best Italian restaurants and pizza joints in London.) For those shoppers who prefer to
quietly explore products on their own, due to so many people toying with customarily unwrapped merchandise, you may occasionally
find over-handled Bath Ballistics at the back of the store (a problem easily solved by grabbing one from deeper in the pile -- much like
you'd do with produce when hand picking the freshest, most attractive piece of fruit on offer). And it's easy to spot which creams don't
sell quite as quickly: their barely touched testers tend to have an oxidized layer on top, this being a universal problem at Lush due to
their opting to use full-sized, open pots as testers rather than smaller closed containers or pumps with a higher turnover rate.
Conversely, this also leads to popular products' testers getting a bit gloppy at busier Lush locations such as this, with the salespeople
only being able to do so much to constantly maintain them while simultaneously chatting up massive influxes of customers from all
over the globe. After you've chatted to the salespeople as if they were your childhood friends, inevitably spending the month's
mortgage cheque (it being neigh on impossible to leave this store without being excitedly inspired to guiltlessly do so), make sure to
grab a copy of their newsprint catalogue titled "The Lush Times" on your way out, cleverly hanging from an inviting chrome news
agent's rack on the back of the front door (easily accessible and free to both shoppers and passersby alike), before heading next door
to pay a visit to Lush's sister company, B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful Parfumerie, at what is by far the best of their three locations.
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(Date of visit: June 3, 2006) – Lush Victoria Station is situated precisely where its name implies: inside the Victoria train station, just
down the road from Buckingham Palace. It's a rather unlikely location: with travelers rushing about to get to and from work, one can't
help but wonder if this location wasn't a bit misplaced since, rather than being positioned in the main concourse, it's positioned in a
back hallway that only a select number of commuters need or think to venture into. But once there, you can't help but feel that you've
just entered the cleanest, best cared for Lush location on earth. From displays to testers, every inch of the shop is positively
immaculate, whether owed to the inevitable lack of traffic or to excellent management (or more likely, both.) Behind a modern glass
and neon front, the entire interior is typically designed with light wood, imparting a cozy old world charm. The space is roomy, allowing
for casual browsing, and all products from each category are tightly displayed for easy finding. Even the pre-wrapped gifts are confined
to one specific area of the shop (as opposed to being spread about amongst various displays, as is the case with many London Lush
stores.) Pots from which samples are drawn are stored in a perfectly organized wooden drawer near the front door rather than your
having a sample made from public tester. This is a very nice touch, even as the product testers themselves are guaranteed to be
clean and fresh at this location, without the oft found residue that tends to form on the surface of many open creams. Impressed
beyond belief, I couldn't help but comment to the sales associate on how beautiful the store was. But sadly, she managed to
overshadow all perfection by being quite reluctant to engage customers, a shock considering that at the time, Lush happened to be
running a "Mystery Shopper" programme where customers would sign up to secretly review various stores. In fact, on this particular
trip to London, I noted that some stores made it a point to be extra friendly to everyone who walked through the doors, acutely aware
that a "mystery shopper" could strike at any time, and occasionally suspecting me of being one of them! But at Victoria Station, though
this particular sales associate was quick to fulfill a sample request, no eye contact was made let alone any amount of friendly verbal
exchange. Upon making my smiling request for a sample of Cosmetic Lad, she merely nodded while looking at her register, the entire
time being too distracted by enjoying the music that was playing in the store, even as I eventually made it clear that I was a regular
Lush customer -- one who praised her for having "the best kept Lush store I'd ever been to" as a last ditch effort to reach out in some
way. During this visit, I didn't attempt to pose any product questions; remarking that I'd never used Cosmetic Lad before and knew little
about it didn't inspire a response, so I simply left that to speak for itself and opted not to make a bother of myself. Other shoppers (few
as they may have been) were coming, browsing, and going, sans a single greeting or "can I help you". And needless to say, not a
single one of those visiting customers wound up making a purchase, even as their curiosity appeared to be peaked as they scanned
the many displays of unique soaps and Ballistics. (Though going completely unnoticed by this particular associate, a tell-tale sign of
genuine interest is when a customer stands at a soap display with eyes squinted, finger to mouth, and an inner "hmmm..." practically
becoming audible by way of body language alone.) Of course, had we visited Lush Victoria Station on a different day, greeted by a
different salesperson (or possibly even the same salesperson in a different mood), our experience perhaps may have been different.
But on this particular day, though I can't speak for the others, I know that even I, a seasoned Lushie, walked into Lush Victoria Station
with wide-eyed wonder, only to leave feeling rather dejected by the lack of care that was afforded me both as a person and a customer.
down the road from Buckingham Palace. It's a rather unlikely location: with travelers rushing about to get to and from work, one can't
help but wonder if this location wasn't a bit misplaced since, rather than being positioned in the main concourse, it's positioned in a
back hallway that only a select number of commuters need or think to venture into. But once there, you can't help but feel that you've
just entered the cleanest, best cared for Lush location on earth. From displays to testers, every inch of the shop is positively
immaculate, whether owed to the inevitable lack of traffic or to excellent management (or more likely, both.) Behind a modern glass
and neon front, the entire interior is typically designed with light wood, imparting a cozy old world charm. The space is roomy, allowing
for casual browsing, and all products from each category are tightly displayed for easy finding. Even the pre-wrapped gifts are confined
to one specific area of the shop (as opposed to being spread about amongst various displays, as is the case with many London Lush
stores.) Pots from which samples are drawn are stored in a perfectly organized wooden drawer near the front door rather than your
having a sample made from public tester. This is a very nice touch, even as the product testers themselves are guaranteed to be
clean and fresh at this location, without the oft found residue that tends to form on the surface of many open creams. Impressed
beyond belief, I couldn't help but comment to the sales associate on how beautiful the store was. But sadly, she managed to
overshadow all perfection by being quite reluctant to engage customers, a shock considering that at the time, Lush happened to be
running a "Mystery Shopper" programme where customers would sign up to secretly review various stores. In fact, on this particular
trip to London, I noted that some stores made it a point to be extra friendly to everyone who walked through the doors, acutely aware
that a "mystery shopper" could strike at any time, and occasionally suspecting me of being one of them! But at Victoria Station, though
this particular sales associate was quick to fulfill a sample request, no eye contact was made let alone any amount of friendly verbal
exchange. Upon making my smiling request for a sample of Cosmetic Lad, she merely nodded while looking at her register, the entire
time being too distracted by enjoying the music that was playing in the store, even as I eventually made it clear that I was a regular
Lush customer -- one who praised her for having "the best kept Lush store I'd ever been to" as a last ditch effort to reach out in some
way. During this visit, I didn't attempt to pose any product questions; remarking that I'd never used Cosmetic Lad before and knew little
about it didn't inspire a response, so I simply left that to speak for itself and opted not to make a bother of myself. Other shoppers (few
as they may have been) were coming, browsing, and going, sans a single greeting or "can I help you". And needless to say, not a
single one of those visiting customers wound up making a purchase, even as their curiosity appeared to be peaked as they scanned
the many displays of unique soaps and Ballistics. (Though going completely unnoticed by this particular associate, a tell-tale sign of
genuine interest is when a customer stands at a soap display with eyes squinted, finger to mouth, and an inner "hmmm..." practically
becoming audible by way of body language alone.) Of course, had we visited Lush Victoria Station on a different day, greeted by a
different salesperson (or possibly even the same salesperson in a different mood), our experience perhaps may have been different.
But on this particular day, though I can't speak for the others, I know that even I, a seasoned Lushie, walked into Lush Victoria Station
with wide-eyed wonder, only to leave feeling rather dejected by the lack of care that was afforded me both as a person and a customer.
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