Hobby & Craft Forums

Managed to find lush in Liverpool today, it wasn't at all what I expected. I can't say I found their stuff very appealing. I expected all the soaps to be nicely packaged in pretty appealing colours, but it wasn't like that at all.

All the soaps were open on display and all looked very gloopy and mis-shapen. Apart from the very pink rose one, none seemed to have any particulsr smell - whether that was because they were all out in the open I don't know, but none called to me to buy them.

I actually expected to be in seventh heaven looking at and smelling all the wonderful soaps, but it had the opposite effect, I found the shop rather gloomy and depressing and couldnt wait to get out.

I noticed that the sign outside said 'fresh' handmade soaps - nothing fresh about them, they weren't even made in the UK.

So, good news - there is hope for all us little ones with big ideas.

We have a Lush in Lincoln and I hate going anywhere near it, you can smell the place from 30 feet away, and not a plesent smell either. Did go in once (being nosey) and the shop did look clean, but very dark, why it has it windows covered with promotion boards and low lighting I'll never know.

Also there never seems many people in there so don't know how they are still around, but hopefully people will learn that not everything that says "handmade" is handmade. plus there not exactly cheap either.

My thoughts exactly Karen and I thought it also looked dirty too! Certainly not my idea of soap heaven. Like you I thought everything would be nicely displayed and packaged with maybe a few pieces out on display to see, touch and smell etc but the displays looked like they had no organisation to them and felt very rubbery. I don't think having all those scents in such close proximity to each other helps either, there seems to be no distinguishing between them even when you have a pice of soap right up to your nose as the smell of the shop is so overpowering. Still, I guess they must be doing something right as people keep buying their stuff or else there's a serious lack of good competition with the money to back huge marketing campaignes to compete!

It would be intresting if a new chain opened up selling handmade soaps and there was one in every area where there was a Lush, I wounder which chain would close down 1st...

Yes, I wonder! When there's nobody to compete with I guess stores like Lush can get away with a lot more. There's only really the Body Shop that is anywhere near the brand name that lush are and although they sell similar products they're both very different styles. I know which one I'd choose to buy from...clean versus dirty, bright versus dark and gloomy blah blah!

Nickie wrote:My thoughts exactly Karen and I thought it also looked dirty too! Certainly not my idea of soap heaven. Like you I thought everything would be nicely displayed and packaged with maybe a few pieces out on display to see, touch and smell etc but the displays looked like they had no organisation to them and felt very rubbery. I don't think having all those scents in such close proximity to each other helps either, there seems to be no distinguishing between them even when you have a pice of soap right up to your nose as the smell of the shop is so overpowering.

Yes - totally agree!

Still, I guess they must be doing something right as people keep buying their stuff or else there's a serious lack of good competition with the money to back huge marketing campaignes to compete!

Yes, sadly Hopefully one will come - with the right idea of how to do it.

Edited to say I made a right mess of that reply didn't I lol

LOL, how did you get on today by the way- it was assessment day today wasn't it?

No - still umming and arring over it.

I want to do it, but need my nerves to settle over it first, got in a right pickle with myself lol. Will give it a few weeks then just bang in for the assessment quick without even thinking about it, hopefully take myself by surprise lol.

Plus one hiccup - need 1 particular oil adding to the assessment that is high risk, the assessor is not impressed but I really need it. He says it will take a lot of research to get it added safely, but as I say, I really want it and for a very specific reason, so we are 'in talks' over that.
Another assessor will add it with less song and dance, but their assessment will cost me quite a lot more in the first place. Their lists do leave me with more scope though. Dilemma.

Hmmmmm, not sure what to make of that...I'm obviously not going to ask you what it is or what you'll be using it for but if it's high risk won't people be wary of buying it if they know the product contains it? It's a bit confsing though why one assessor would add it with less of a problem than another...I'm confused but then as you know, it doesn't take much lol!

No, noone will have a clue what it is, 100% sure of that so it won't put anyone off buying it, quite the opposite actually I'm sure.