Sephora announces return to UK with London debut
Beauty retailer Sephora is set to return to UK stores as it prepares to open at Westfield London in March 2023.
A debut in the capital for the retailer, Sephora will open a 6,000 sq ft+ store at the London shopping centre, after the brand entered the UK online market in October 2022.
The French retailer originally debuted in the UK in 2000 in Kent, before exiting in 2005 after the LMVH-owned brand faced a combination of high rents and competition from homegrown brands such as Boots.
Sephora’s return to the UK was rumoured in 2019, but any plans failed to materialise. However the brand’s £132m acquisition of FeelUnique in 2021 opened the doors to a British comeback.
The UK is home to one of the leading consumer markets for the beauty industry in Europe, third only to France and Germany.
Sarah Boyd, managing director of Sephora UK, said: “We are very excited to open our first store in London, which is something we know our beauty community has been waiting for many years. After the very successful launch of sephora.co.uk and our app last autumn, we have been inundated with questions about our plans to open stores.”
Katie Wyle, general manager at Westfield London, added: “Sephora is one of the most requested stores by Westfield London customers and I am delighted they have chosen our destination to open their first physical store in the UK”.