For Autism Acceptance Month, Lush partnered with KultureCity, a nonprofit focusing on sensory accessibility and acceptance, in order to pilot their sensory-friendly shopping experience across 25 North American stores.
It’s designed to create a calmer, more accessible environment for all, available all day and not just during certain hours.
Our autistic beauty creator, Lai, went to cover the experience firsthand, and from coming in, it became clear that Lush had reimagined what a store experience could feel like. Upon arrival, Lai was greeted by staff who gave her a sensory tote bag, one that had items like fidget tools, noise cancelling headphones, strobe-reducing glasses, and an emotions cue card for when communicating non-verbally is helpful. The store also had masks readily available to assist with any smell-related sensory avoidances, along with training all of their staff to meet the needs of customers with sensory disabilities.
According to Lush, all of these implementations were created intentionally so that the experience was available to anyone who wanted it – at any time, all day long.
This launch comes after the cosmetics company reaffirmed their commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in an official announcement this year.
Accessibility, in particular, hits close to home for many on Lush’s team: according to their Global Demographic Survey from May 2024, 55% of staff who responded identified as disabled, neurodivergent, and/or living with chronic illness – and over half of that group reported having one or more non-visible conditions.
Though, the desire for less chaos and more sensory-friendly spaces, a previously sidelined conversation, has now bled into the mainstream. Keyword searches for both ‘overstimulation’ and ‘burnout’ have seen nearly a 100% increase in search interest over the past 4 years, according to Google Trends.
And these are more than just trends – these conversations are catching up with reality: an estimated 1 in 6 Americans have a diagnosed sensory processing difference, spanning people with anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, autism, and more.
“I love shopping for beauty, it’s one of my favorite things to shop for. I prefer shopping in store because I’m a very visual person. However, it can be pretty overwhelming due to my auditory sensory processing difficulties and the environment. With more initiatives like this one, it can make people feel more comfortable in the space. I think this is a great step to a more inclusive physical beauty space,” Lai Williams said.
The significance of a major retailer offering a sensory-friendly experience is not only a meaningful step towards inclusion, but it also broadens the typical layperson’s definition of what access looks like – reaffirming sensory friendly retail as part of a larger accessibility vision.
This move cements that into reality, and in doing so, Lush is not just offering a service, but demonstrating how thoughtful design can enrich retail experiences for everyone.
While the pilot program launched for Autism Awareness Month in April, the experience will be offered all year long, with intention to expand to all Lush stores across North America in the near future.
