-
Mark Constantine is Born
Born in the town of Sutton -
Mark Constantine's Father Leaves the Household
He left when Mark was just 2 -
Constantine fails his GCEs
At 16 he can't afford to go to university and ends up homeless after an altercation with his mother and stepfather. His childhood friend, Jeff Osment, guided him through the struggling years and eventually his parents were able to take him in. He had an apprenticeship as a hairdresser earning 3 pounds a week. -
Period: to
Constantine and Weir Company
After rigorous study in the field of trichology as a hairdresser, he worked for Canadian-American businesswoman Elizabeth Arden and then for Marc Young's Beauty Salon in Poole. It was there when he eventually met Liz Weir, a beauty therapist, and they started their own business selling natural hair and beauty products. -
Constantine and Weir start supplying The Body Shop
Their retailer, Anita Roddick, bought samples of their work in order for her company to expand and for Constantine and Weir to earn profit. -
Constantine and Weir Sold to Anita Roddick
Due to some intellectual property rights that she believed she owned, Constantine sold the company to her for £9 million over the course of three years. Shortly after Constantine opened up his second business, Cosmetics To Go. -
Cosmetics To Go Fails
Unfortunately, his second business venture fails, with issues with products being too cheaply priced, Constantine's expectations for his revenue failing to be met, and bankruptcy being filed in 1994 -
Lush is founded
To succeed the previous company, he co-founded the cosmetics retailer presently known as Lush with his wife Mo, and five of his friends based in Poole, England. -
Period: to
Lush (Present-day)
-
Lush's Worldwide Expansion
At this point, Lush has 462 stores in 46 countries with an approximated revenue of $292 million -
Constantine and his wife are appointed OBE
In the December 2010 New Year Honours, Constantine and Mo are appointed the Order of the British Empire (OBE), meriting them for "services to the beauty industry" -
Jeff Osment Documents Constantine's Reunion with his Father
At 60 years old, Constantine was able to reunite with his father, thanks to the efforts of Jeff Osment. -
Lush faces great difficulties presented by COVID-19 Pandemic
Lush briefly encountered a staggering £45 million loss and sales went down by 20%, the result of the pandemic and political disruptions in Hong Kong, France, and Spain. -
Lush's Pandemic Recovery
Lush was able to make a £29 million pre-tax profit from government support and additional business rates. -
Lush Bounces Back
Sales went back up 10% and Lush was able to acquire their North American business and overall, Constantine expects for Lush to make a full recovery from the pandemic era soon.