Sephora has finally opened the doors of its new London store, the first on British soil since it uncerimoniously wrapped up its UK business in 2005, but what has it got planned to make sure this time it sticks?
This updated analysis was originally published in October when news of Sephora’s return to the UK first broke.
Confirmation of Sephora’s long-rumoured arrival back in the UK has set makeup lovers salivating this week. The lure of the brand’s iconic black and white stripes has Sephora top of the must-visit list for make-up-loving Brits going abroad, and having a location closer to home is a dream come true for many.
But this is not the first time the retailer has set up shop on British shores – it shuttered its UK store estate back in 2005 without explanation.
What has changed in that time to make Sephora think it can now make a success in the UK? Which elements of its beloved stores should it look to import here? And who in the UK market should be worried about its arrival?
What has changed?
According to Sephora EME president Sylvie Moreau, it’s entering the UK with a very different set of resources than it had in the early noughties. Moreau told journalists at the brand’s media announcement that there are two things that make this launch more viable.
First, the globe has seen a beauty boom thanks to social media. In 2005, beauty on YouTube was in its infancy, with a fraction of the number of creators, taste-makers and engagement available today. That is not to mention the other trend-catapulting platforms that did not yet exist such as Instagram and TikTok.
Second, online shopping wasn’t quite as established as it is today. Sephora amended that element with the £132m purchase of Feel Unique last September, which has allowed them to walk into the UK with 1.3m active customers and steady ecommerce infrastructure ready to go.
What will the stores be like and what will they offer?
Viral celebrity brands will be the most important tool Sephora has to get people through the door. It led its announcement with a list of brands that are largely hard to come by or available only online in the UK. Makeup by Mario, One Size and Tarte are among the brands garnering the most excitement. There is also the Sephora Collection: its affordable own-brand offer which has had its fair share of viral social media attention.
According to beauty editor and consultant Laura Capon, store layout is the brand’s masterstroke. US Sephora stores deliver the exact same store journey regardless of the location: first make-up, then skincare, then haircare.
They deliver an experience that’s familiar, browsable and accessible – qualities many beauty retailers have struggled to pin down here in the UK, says Capon.
Retail Week understands the flagship London store, which is set to open in spring next year, is to become the blueprint store of the future for its European locations.
Retail Week Prospect senior retail analyst Beth Bloomfield says it is likely it will experiment with more pop-up shops – like the one opening in London on October 20 – before settling on nationwide locations.
Sephora team members undergo six months of training at ‘Sephora University’
According to Bloomfield, it is also bound to be looking to forge a department store tie-up in an attempt to replicate the success of its partnership with Kohl’s in the US, which it plans to grow to all 1,165 Kohl’s stores.
“There are only a few players left that they could partner with in the UK that are national,” says Bloomfield.
”Frasers Group has a premium elevation strategy and it’s adept at doing things quickly, so it might be willing to take the risk. But whoever does it will need to act fast or they’ll lose out.”
Stores will also boast highly-trained staff. Sephora team members undergo six months of training at ‘Sephora University’ to help them provide the best customer experience, so its London contingent is already in training.
Who should be worried?
Boots and Space NK are likely to be most interested in this development.
Boots has a 40% market share in beauty in the UK and sells trending brands such as Fenty Beauty and Kylie Cosmetics, but because its stores are so varied, the product selection can be smaller and less impactful than beauty-lovers were hoping for, says Capon.
Space NK has done a lot of work bringing in new brands that shoppers are excited about, like Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty and JVN Hair, but it will now have to compete directly with Sephora for those all-important exclusivity deals in the UK.
Bloomfield says Space NK’s small, minimalist stores might also hamper its chances against Sephora, which tends to opt for more square footage for a more immersive browsing experience.
All will be revealed next year, so for now, beauty-obsessed shoppers will have to wait to find out if Sephora UK is worth cancelling their US pilgrimage for.
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