Around two decades after exiting India, UK cosmetics brand Lush has re-entered the market, looking to tap into the country’s growing luxury beauty segment.
The maker of bath bombs, shower jellies and solid shampoo bars has partnered with Bengaluru-based Bilberry Brands under a licensing agreement, beginning with an online launch and a physical store in Delhi. A second Delhi outlet, along with stores in Gurugram and Mumbai, is expected to open soon. It plans to open seven stores by the end of 2026.
In a video interview, Lush co-founder Rowena Bird discusses the brand’s return to India. Edited excerpts:
What made this the right time for Lush to re-enter the Indian market?
It wasn’t straightforward to do business when we first entered. Importing was expensive, the shopping malls weren't there yet—I just don't think retail was where it is today. Now it's a much more straightforward place. It's still not cheap to import the products, but it's a different marketplace. That's what makes all the difference.
What's your strategy this time?
We're following a similar plan; we have Bilberry as our local partner. We always choose our partners with people that we actually like and would like to have dinner with and be friends with. Other than that, the market and Lush has changed. It has a different feel. The products have changed. I think we've grown up more. We now have spas, hair labs, and anchor stores in many more countries now. There's a lot more experience now than when we first opened in India.
Do you believe Asian markets work differently?
In some ways, we're all very much the same. But what products sell—sometimes we have differences because you're dealing with humidity. In India, we're more likely to sell more shower products, whereas in the UK, we sell more bath, things like that. The fragrances you tend towards more heavier, stickier fragrances. There are subtle differences in what's in the top 20, but bestsellers are bestsellers around the world.
What defines your product curation for a price sensitive India? Will we see special launches?
We did try minis (internationally), but we've discontinued those. I think people look at them and think this isn't value for money. They haven't done as well as we thought. Though people kept asking for them, we launched them, and then people didn't want to buy them. Everywhere is price sensitive, especially now that the whole world is feeling the pinch. People either save up and buy Lush as a treat, or they can afford us because we are not top end, we sit in the middle. And we have to sit in that category because we can't make cheaper products because of the way we source our raw materials, we insist on using essential oils rather than synthetics. We insist on using almond, olive, and coconut oil rather than mineral oil. Going cheaper will not let us feel morally or ethically good.
What is doing well so far in India?
Hair care is doing very well. Shower products we knew will do well. Fragrances are making for about 20 per cent of contribution (higher online than at the Delhi store), though it's an initial stage, so we cannot say that this is going to be the India trend.
Have the current shifts in global tariffs made India a more strategic market for Lush?
We are an organic growth company, we don’t tend to do anything quickly. In the 30 years (since launch), we always open a country at a time, a shop at a time. We've never been one of those companies that says, “let's find an investor and we'll go from 10 to a 100 shops”. India is a strategic country for us, so we're delighted to be open there again. It is important in the portfolio of countries that we trade in.
Does Lush source ingredients from India?
Lush has been sourcing from India for the last 30 years. Many essential oils, even the knot traps (cloth wraps for gifting) are made by women in India. Approximately seven to eight per cent of the ingredients are sourced from India. India is full of wonderful things, it's very fertile. That’s helpful when it comes to growing beautiful ingredients.