Hoping to bridge the gap between physical and digital, its new app promises “a fresh, fun, and interactive experience” – coupled with the convenience of shopping online.

I decided to give it a whirl, and while it’s certainly not perfect, here are four things I think it does particularly well.

And for more on the brand, read our post on why Lush is the undisputed master of ‘B-commerce’.

Categorisation

I really like Lush’s clear and creative category options.

While it includes standard groups like ‘Body’ and ‘Make-up’, it also gives the user the option to browse by emotions and specific scents.

  

As well as making the app easy to navigate, this also aids discovery.

Instead of sticking to certain categories, it encourages users to search around.

 

Location-based features

Location-based marketing is a great way for brands to entice users in-store.

With comprehensive store information and the ability to detect location, Lush does it well.

Providing detail on opening times, contact numbers and directions in an integrated map – it’s a great example of how to fuse the physical and mobile experience.

  

Informative product copy

Lush employees are known for being incredibly well-informed about the products they sell.

In the absence of this one-to-one interaction, an extensive amount of information is included in its place.

While the amount of copy looks cluttered on a small screen, I particularly like the attention to detail.

From the benefits of specific ingredients to further products that contain them, it is a nice way to pique interest and extend the user journey.

  

Editorial (and focus on ethics)

Well-known for its dedication to social good, Lush’s brand values are also reflected in the editorial sections of its app.

Through the ‘discovery’ tab, users can read long-form articles about the company’s values as well as lighter articles related to the Lush lifestyle.

  

I also appreciate the fact that these articles pop up in the search results.

When I searched for the term ‘bubbles’, I was presented with an article on ‘how to use bubble bars’ as well as the products themselves.

This type of additional content provides extra value and entices users to return.

In conclusion…

While there are many parts of the app that could be improved (the load-times can be slow and the checkout process slightly laboured), there’s still a lot to enjoy.

With its creative copywriting, attention-to-detail and location-based technology, it’s a decent effort from the cosmetics brand.

To learn more about this topic, book yourself onto Econsultancy’s UX and usability course