Debenhams boosts beauty investment with showroom expansion plans

Following the success of its London Soho store, Debenhams is set to expand its beauty showroom footprint with plans for additional locations.

The digital department store told TheIndustry.beauty it is targeting between three and five new spaces over the next few years as part of its wider beauty strategy.

Debenhams' Great Pulteney Street showroom, which opened in September 2023, offers an experiential space where customers can explore a curated selection of skincare, makeup, and fragrances in a premium setting.

Shoppers can also enjoy a range of in-store treatments, including brow tinting, facials, and blow-dries, enhancing the overall customer experience.

The expansion reflects the retailer’s ongoing investment in the beauty category, with 70 new brands added to its platform in FY25 alone - including Kiehl’s, Dyson, Shark Beauty, Wella, OPI, Kylie Cosmetics and IT Cosmetics.

So far this year, Debenhams has also seen exclusive launches from Wayne Goss, Ateh Jewel, and Ella & Jo.

It comes as beauty continues to be a strong growth area for the business, with December 2024 marking its highest-performing month for beauty sales to date -underscoring the category’s growing momentum.

Debenhams is also expanding its appeal to male customers, who currently make up 11% of its beauty audience. Its men’s grooming and fragrance offering has grown with recent additions such as barbershop-inspired brand Murdock London and fragrance label Armaf.