Cosmetics retailer Lush is set to expand in Bristol by relocating to a new outlet in the city's retail quarter.
The brand, which has it head office in Dorset, has said it is moving from its current shop on Broadmead to the nearby Cabot Circus shopping centre.
Lush said its new space, which will open on April 7, will be double the size of its original shop, with with a retail area of 164 sqm. It comes after the business said it would invest around £6.1m this year in new shops, relocations and refits across the UK, Ireland and Europe.
The new Bristol shop will feature a dedicated space for skincare consultations, as well as a perfume bar. Lush said the store would encourage customers to return plastic packaging for recycling, as part of its 'Bring It Back' scheme. Lush Bristol said it had seen more than 6,500 items returned, approximately 156 kg of plastic.
Gui Figueiredo, Lush shop and space planner, said: "I wanted to create an experience that speaks to the customer on a deeper level. Our products are already visually stunning so for the store layout I focussed on something both functional and meaningful.
"Bringing our customers to a place where they feel inspired and energised. It's all about translating Lush's ethics into a physical space that embodies our values and messages through design and materials being used."
Lush, which launched almost 30-years-ago, operates in 48 countries, with more than 900 shops, 38 websites shipping worldwide and a global network of native apps.
The firm has recently been embroiled in a row with a company led by its former chief executive. Silverwood Brands, of which Andrew Gerrie is an executive director, announced in December last year it had bought 19.8% stake in the Poole-based firm - payable in Silverwood shares. But last month Silverwood hit out at Lush for declining to complete the deal.
Lush had said they had "no choice" but to refuse the transfer, after it concluded the proposed transaction was “not compliant” with the firm's binding regulations on the sale of its shares.
Lush added that Silverwood had “erroneously” told its investors that Lush’s board had failed to provide reasons for not transferring its acquisition of Lush shares owned by Mr Gerrie and his wife Alison Hawksley. In response, Silverwood told BusinessLive it would continue to defend its position and would be "a constructive, critical friend of Lush'".
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