This week Sephora finally returned to the UK after 17 years, opening its new flagship in Westfield White City.
The brand certainly made a splash judging by the enormous queue that formed outside the store, which was rumoured to have a whopping six-hour wait time.
Many had braved the icy weather on Wednesday, camping outside of the shopping centre from 6:30 am, with some admitting to skiving off work for the day just to be one of the first to walk through the giant glass-paned doors.
The LVMH-owned beauty giant’s highly anticipated return follows the launch of its UK website last October.
The retailer brings 135 brands with it, from makeup to fragrance, skincare, haircare, and wellness including big-names such as Fenty and Drunk Elephant.
Unsurprisingly, what most shoppers are excited about – and what other beauty retailers should be worried about – are the new brands on offer that UK shoppers couldn’t get their hands on previously.
Sephora used its might to bring a number of exclusives to the UK such as Supergoop!, Makeup by Mario, Kosas beauty, One/Size by Patrick Starrr and more, all alongside its popular affordable own brand, Sephora Collection.
As the crowds outside its Westfield store show, Sephora already has a strong reputation with many UK shoppers who have rushed to its stores whilst on holiday in Paris, New York or Dubai.
The centre of the Sephora, White City store houses a ‘Grand Beauty Hub’, providing a range of unique services and treatments using a combination of human touch and technology.
The flagship also features Sephora’s first-ever lip bar, a ‘Hot on Social’ section, a Benefit brow bar as well as a personalised gifting station and a free skin diagnosis offering.
How does Sephora compare to the UK’s beauty specialists?
While the UK’s retail scene isn’t exactly lacking in terms of beauty, with the likes of Boots, Superdrug, H Beauty by Harrods, not to mention department stores like Selfridges, and John Lewis, Sephora’s re-entry into the UK should have other players worried.
In fact, a quick visit to the Boots and Space NK stores just a stone’s throw away from the new Sephora found two noticeably empty shops.
Comparing the Boots store – the UK’s health and beauty market leader – to Sephora, reveals a stark difference in terms of shopping experience.
The ultra-slick Sephora store is packed with colourful displays, mirrors and make-up-ready lighting everywhere, while, despite carrying a decent amount of beauty brands, Bootsblooked a tad depressing.
This is not helped by the empty displays dotted around the store and the fact that no one on hand to help me pick out the correct foundation shade.
When perusing SpaceNK, while the interiors were slick and it did carry a number of hot beauty brands such as Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty, the atmosphere wasn’t the most welcoming.
Whilst chatting to by beauty-obsessed colleagues, this is a commonly held view.
By comparison, Sephora, which is famed for its top-notch customer service, was packed with an army of perfectly made-up store staff at every turn, willing and waiting to offer advice and recommendations when needed.
The final verdict
So, should other players in the beauty scene be worried? I’d say so.
Sephora carries so many TikTok hyped brands resonate perfectly with its Gen Z and digital-first shoppers, but alongside its massive product offering the customer service and experiences on offer are truly unparalleled.
Of course, a blockbuster store opening doesn’t guarantee success.
I remember queuing up to enter Morphe’s second UK store in Birmingham back in 2018, which opened to similar fanfare . Fast-forward a few year, and the once-popular beauty brand has now filed for bankruptcy and shuttered all its US stores.
However, it does show that there is strong demand for Sephora in the UK now for the brand to capitalise on.
So what can other beauty retailers do? Well for starters, those within Westfield White City and further afield, need to raise their game in terms of stock availability and service.
Competition can be healthy – and hopefully it can elevate the beauty sector across the UK.
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