Lush Hong Kong flagship closes
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Beauty products retailer Lush Hong Kong has closed its five-story flagship store several months before its lease was due for renewal.
The high-profile store was opened in late 2015, at Soho Square in Central. At the time billed as the brand’s largest store in Asia, it featured the first Lush spa globally.
Located adjacent to the Mid-levels escalator on Lyndhurst Tce, it featured 6909sqft (642 sqm) of trading space.
The ground floor featured the brand’s signature range of handmade soaps, scrubs, shampoos, and cosmetics, while the floor above housed a cafe, with the spa located on upper floors, offering customers scrubs, baths, massages, and facials.
According to Land Registry records, Lush paid US$196,000 in rent for the latest year.
Inside Retail Asia reached out to Lush for comment on the closure, but the company did not respond.
Lush’s closure extends the recent trend of mid-market brands closing stores across the territory in the wake of falling footfall due to borders being closed to tourists during the Covid-19 pandemic. Other retailers including Gap, SaSa, and Swatch have been reducing their store count in the city, along with luxury brands such as Tiffany, MCM, and Prada.
Questions & Answers
Q.What is the primary reason for the closure of the Lush Hong Kong flagship store?
What is the primary reason for the closure of the Lush Hong Kong flagship store?
The closure extends a trend of mid-market brands shutting stores due to falling footfall. This decline is attributed to borders being closed to tourists during the Covid-19 pandemic, impacting consumer behaviour.
Q.When was the Lush Hong Kong flagship store originally opened?
When was the Lush Hong Kong flagship store originally opened?
The high-profile store was opened in late 2015. It was located at Soho Square in Central and was billed as the brand's largest store in Asia at the time.
Q.What was the monthly rent Lush was paying for the Central store?
What was the monthly rent Lush was paying for the Central store?
According to Land Registry records, Lush paid US$196,000 in rent for the latest year. This figure would equate to approximately US$16,333 per month for the prominent five-story location.
Q.Which other retailers have recently reduced their store presence in Hong Kong?
Which other retailers have recently reduced their store presence in Hong Kong?
Other retailers like Gap, SaSa, and Swatch have been reducing their store count. Luxury brands such as Tiffany, MCM, and Prada have also been part of this trend.
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