Here's a Look at LUSH and Its Brand-New Ecommerce Platform

Brands which have previously relied heavily on physical retail have been forced to rethink the way they carry out business in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many, indeed, have had to rebrand themselves as ecommerce businesses as a result

This has particularly affected the cosmetics business which relies on customers being able to see, feel, and smell their products in person. A special part of the cosmetic buying experience is going to a physical store and experiencing the products for yourself before making a purchasing decision. This can take the form of a makeup sampling counter or, in the case of brands such as LUSH, the intense and heady aromas customers experience when they step through the doors.

It is this shift in customer buying behavior which has led LUSH to completely overhaul its ecommerce presence twice in the last twelve months.

LUSH

With its sharp focus on sustainability and ethical production, LUSH finds itself in a somewhat unique position. As it invents, manufactures, and sells all its own products, LUSH has more control over its image than many other cosmetics brands do - even going so far as to invent ethical ingredients or product alternatives where they did not previously exist.

This ethos also extends to the brand's ecommerce presence, which it has recently given a major facelift. LUSH has even gone so far as to release a digital ethics statement alongside the overhaul which lays out its commitment to using technology in a manner congruent with its brand identity.

"Lush Digital believes technology should give more than it takes from society and the environment," says LUSH in the statement. "Tech doesn't have to be unethical - it can be built for the greater good and impact positive social change. We champion ethical hardware, ethical data, ethical design, and open-source technologies, and we support and elevate communities who feel the same."

It seems we hardly go five minutes these days without hearing of some new way tech companies are abusing their power and platform, so it is refreshing to hear LUSH making a statement such as this.

LUSH Digital

The new experience begins at the homepage where shoppers familiar with the platform's previous iteration will immediately notice the updated and eye-catching design, a reimagined navigation menu, and a vastly improved internal search function. A similar experience can be found in LUSH's proprietary smartphone app where the visual treats continue - alongside cards users can swipe to reveal specially curated lists of products, such as "Best of bath bombs" and "Best of feeling sleepy".

However, perhaps one of the most exciting features is the LUSH Lens AR tool.

LUSH has always been dedicated to keeping packaging of its products to an absolute minimum. However, retailers have a legal obligation to provide customers with a list of ingredients for products which are destined to come into contact with their skin, as well as instructions for their safe use. This obligation was preventing LUSH from completely removing packaging from products as it would have liked.

LUSH explored many options, including QR codes and RFID chips, but found them to fall short of the overall goal. With the LUSH Lens tool, however, customers can use their phone's AR technology to scan a product, at which point machine learning technology takes over and searches a computer database containing 250,000 photos of LUSH products and provides the user with all the information they need for that item.

Lush's entire naked range is now detectable by the Lens feature, and the latest version has increased the accuracy rate of detecting the right product to 98%. Not only is the LUSH Lens tool ideal for delivering crucial product information to customers, but also reduces the need for them to handle items when shopping in LUSH stores - especially relevant considering the COVID-19 crisis.

The app also features a digital personal shopper feature where customers can access live guidance and tips from a real person using their smartphone - yet another way LUSH is making sure COVID doesn't get in the way of great and personalized shopping experiences.

"It's allowed customers who are maybe a little bit more anxious about coming into our shops to now talk to us instantly through the app and ask about what we have in our shop or our safety measures," said LUSH UK Store Manager, Charlotte Mills.

Final Thoughts

LUSH's combination of ethical products and ethical technology is refreshing to witness. With its brand new ecommerce platform and innovative features, such as LUSH Lens and the personal shopper, customers can keep adding that trademark fizz to their bathtime, regardless of how they shop.

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