Editors' Top Reads: News from Sephora, Harvey Nichols, MAY Botanicals and more...

Here are some of this week’s news and features highlights handpicked by TheIndustry.beauty team.

Poundland owner Gordon Brothers joins Harvey Nichols auction

When it emerged that Harvey Nichols owner – Hong Kong-based billionaire Sir Dickson Poon – was considering offloading the business after 35 years of ownership, I immediately assumed it would end up in either Asian or Middle Eastern hands. Especially given the likely sale price, the geographic spread of its stores and the investment needed to revive its fortunes.

However, while there is interest from Asia and the Middle East (from Reliance Retail and Chalhoub Group respectively), we have ended up with a somewhat unexpected list of suitors. High street giant NEXT is acquisitive but it wouldn't have been first on my list of potentially interested parties. A move for Harvey Nichols would in one fell swoop give it huge foothold in luxury, which is a space it has been circling with limited success. So there's that.

Then we have Frasers Group, owner of Frasers, Flannels, Sports Direct and more, which was initially said to have been interested in the regional stores only but is now taking a tilt at the entire group. Frasers is ambitious; it's currently piling pressure on the board at Hugo Boss as it seeks to wrest control of the German fashion giant and this week it was revealed that it has bought a small stake in Burberry. Given past experience, we shouldn't expect that stake to stay small for long.

Now, Gordon Brothers, the US-based turnaround specialist is reported to have thrown its hat into the ring. Gordon Brothers typically buys distressed retail brands with distinct brand identities that it can parlay into its asset-light licensing model, which it has successfully done with Laura Ashley and soon will do with Radley. Harvey Nichols doesn't quite fall into that box but the precedent of buying the IP of a beloved department store has been set by fellow American group Authentic Brands, which acquired Barneys New York in 2019. The idea was to use the Barneys name on a range of products, which it does, but we are expecting to see some stores to return, with reports suggesting a new, smaller format store is set to open in Florida soon, with others in the pipeline.

Could Gordon Brothers be thinking of a similar move? It seems likely. I'd be devastated if, like Barneys, the flagship store was closed though. However each potential bidder for Harvey Nichols is being asked to commit to a £60 million investment in the future development of the business, so maybe Sir Dickson won't let that happen.

Lauretta Roberts, Co-founder, CEO & Editor-in-Chief.

The Interview: Sephora UK MD Sarah Boyd on boutiques, expansion and the next phase of growth

Over a week after opening its first boutique-format store on London's Carnaby Street, Sephora UK yesterday unveiled its second location at Old Spitalfields Market. The opening marks the company's second East London site, following its 2023 debut at Westfield Stratford City. Unlike its larger-format stores, however, the new boutique introduces a more curated approach to beauty retail.

Although smaller in size, the boutiques retain Sephora's core retail proposition through a curated assortment of brands, expert-led advice and faster, more convenient service. The new format also introduces the retail giant's Beauty Scan technology to deliver more personalised product recommendations.

Describing the concept as the next chapter in Sephora UK's expansion, Managing Director Sarah Boyd tells TheIndustry.beauty all about the new boutiques, expansion plans, evolving consumers behaviour and more.

Read the full interview here.

Sophie Smith, News Editor & Senior Writer. 

Georgia May Jagger pauses MAY Botanicals after three years

Georgia May Jagger’s decision to pause her beauty brand MAY Botanicals signifies to me just how vulnerable celebrity-founded beauty brands can be to the availability of their founders.

The British model introduced MAY Botanicals in October 2023 for consumers with sensitive skin, bringing together science-led formulas and responsibly sourced ingredients in a line-up of five initial products. This week though, Jagger announced that she wanted to focus on personal and work priorities, including Bleach London, another beauty haircare brand she co-owns, and was therefore pausing MAY's operations.

She describes the move as not being an easy decision, but "the right one for me at this time" on her Instagram account.

To me this shows just how dependent some beauty brands are on the fame and involvement of their celebrity founders. The decision to stop trading when Jagger’s priorities changed indicates that her involvement remained central to MAY. While another beauty brand can replace a Creative Director or CEO, a label carrying its founder’s name, personal history and public image has fewer options.

When E.l.f. Beauty agreed to acquire Hailey Bieber's Rhode in 2025 it secured Bieber's future input by making her Chief Creative Officer and Head of Innovation, as well as a strategic advisor to the E.l.f. Beauty group.

Meanwhile Rihanna is still heavily involved in Fenty Beauty from a business side, as well as fronting its marketing campaigns, while Selena Gomez does the same with Rare Beauty. Although Harry Styles is perhaps somewhat less directly involved in the day-to-day running of Pleasing, he is still the brand's poster child, with pop-up launches coinciding with his concert tour dates.

I'll be interested to see if and when MAY Botanicals makes a return, and what the future for celebrity-backed beauty brands holds.

Beauty faces cost pressures despite easing UK shop price inflation

I always enjoy writing data-led stories because they reveal wider consumer trends, and this one was particularly interesting because it showed that beauty remains resilient despite ongoing cost pressures.

What stood out to me most was that retailers are relying on promotions to keep customers spending despite rising costs behind the scenes. It highlights the challenge of balancing affordability for consumers with maintaining profitability in an increasingly competitive market.

As economic pressures continue, it will be interesting to see how beauty retailers adapt their pricing strategies without compromising on innovation or product quality. The category has remained remarkably resilient, but the coming months may test just how much additional cost brands and retailers can absorb.

Catherine Rowe-Kosary, Junior Writer.