As an online business, we’re fortunate that for the moment the UK Government has agreed that we should continue operating. While I know that beauty and wellness products might not be viewed by all as essential, many categories are necessary – imagine a world without shower gel, shampoo or deodorant - and for many people, cult products enable self-care and bring joy, distraction and normalcy at a time of great anxiety.

In order to comply with World Health Organisation (WHO) and Government guidelines on social distancing, we have limited the number of staff in our warehouse at any one time. Cult Beauty has experienced changes in demand over the past few weeks, and while prioritising these restrictions ensures we are able to maintain the high levels of safety and protection for our staff, it does mean that orders will likely take longer to get to you than normal.

Here is a list of the extra measures we have put in place to make Cult Beauty the safest possible place to work.

Keeping our warehouse clean & safe

• Taking steps to limit the number of employees on a shift at any one has enabled to us ensure we adhere to the strict social distancing two metre rule at all times. We have added an additional shift to ensure we can keep our volumes the same.
• The entrance and internal floors of the warehouse have been marked with two metre gaps to constantly remind our employees of the social distancing guidelines.
• Upon arrival for their shift, one of our security team - Henry, Florence, Ely or Seastiao - take the temperature of each member of staff and everyone sanitizes their hands.
• We are lucky to have a large space in which to operate our warehouse and our packing desks are at least two metres apart. Their surfaces are thoroughly cleaned before and after every shift and every desk has a hand sanitizer.
• Our pick aisles are some of the areas with the highest footfall therefore we have limited these to only two people per aisle, who ensure they are adhering to social distancing rules when picking.
• Extensive signage has been displayed throughout the warehouse to remind everyone of the social distancing rules. This includes chairs in the canteen to ensure there is a two metre distance between people on their break or eating lunch.
• Cleaning is of paramount importance, so we have increased the number of cleaners we have on each shift. We have directed them to regularly clean high-touch areas such as door handles and desks, in between the use of shared areas as well as before and after every shift starts and finishes. We are also ensuring the warehouse is empty for at least two hours between shifts so these areas can be kept pristine and as hygienic as possible.
• Additional full deep cleans have been deployed to support our regular cleaning schedule. I don’t think our warehouse has ever smelled so pine-fresh!

What about the rest of the team?

Anyone in our team who can work remotely is doing so, and we are keeping a keen eye on everyone’s mental health as the days roll into weeks and feelings of anxiety and isolation begin to surface for everyone.

Protecting the Cult Beauty ecosystem

Cult Beauty is an independent British business that employs nearly 200 people. While the Government guidelines support staying operational, we have to balance the risk with the realities of protecting the livelihoods of our employees and our 280 brands – many of whom are small independent companies that rely on our sales to survive - when there is no certainty of an end date in sight. Just like any ecosystem this is a delicate balance, but we are making sure we pay all of our brands on time, if not early, to ensure their survival through this difficult time.

I hope that throughout this crisis Cult Beauty can be a useful source of essential basic products, as well as a place to come for some happy escapism and a welcoming community.

Keep safe and well everyone.

Alexia Inge

*Last updated 21st December 2020