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Store employees undress for environment
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THE BARE PRODUCT: Audrey Johnson of Chandler, left, is assisted Wednesday by Audrey Magnuson, center, and Laura Fielding at Lush, a store at Scottsdale Fashion Square that believes in "naked" (unpackaged) soap products. About a half-dozen employees wore only aprons that didn't wrap around their bare behinds to bring attention to the environmental benefits of reduced packaging.
Paul O'Neill, Tribune
Employees of upscale soap store LUSH startled shoppers and mall management at Scottsdale Fashion Square Wednesday by shedding their clothes to point out the virtues of products without packaging.
Clad only in aprons that didn't wrap around their bare butts, a handful of female workers sold soap and passed out free eco-friendly advice.
Part of a 25-store nationwide promotion, the aprons invited customers to "Ask me why I'm naked."
LUSH removes water from usually liquid products and sells the solid shampoo bars, conditioners, hennas, massage bars, body butters, bubble bars, and soaps deli-style, without packaging.
"Last year alone, approximately 3 million plastic bottles were not manufactured, transported and disposed of because customers chose to buy LUSH's solid shampoo bars instead of a bottled product," the company contends.
The lack of people packaging apparently helped spur sales in the Scottsdale store Wednesday - especially among men, not traditionally big toiletries purchasers.
"I saw a lot of men with LUSH packages walking out of the store," said Fashion Square general manager Steve Helm.
Helm was forewarned about the promotion but was assured the aprons would cover essential body parts, he said.
That was clearly not the case, but Helm said he didn't get any customer complaints about the nearly naked saleswomen.
"I was surprised there was as much visibility," he said. "Fortunately they stayed inside the store."
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