Editors' Top Reads: News from Sephora, VIEVE, Superdrug and more...

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

Sephora UK expands London footprint with first-ever boutique store

Having to take sick leave is never ideal, but the timing couldn’t have been more frustrating for me this week - just as Sephora UK opened its first boutique store! While I’m yet to visit the new location, I covered the opening of this exciting new space yesterday. Needless to say, I’m already planning a trip to explore it properly in person.

Located on London’s Carnaby Street, Sephora’s debut boutique-format store introduces a smaller retail concept as part of the beauty company's wider UK expansion strategy. Spanning 2,691 sq ft, the space has been designed around evolving high street shopping habits and marks Sephora UK’s first central London location.

With a curated product selection, expert-led advice and a focus on quicker, more tailored service, the concept aims to create a more convenient shopping experience while connecting seamlessly with Sephora’s online offering.

A second boutique location will follow next week, with the retailer set to open at Old Spitalfields Market on 30 July. The new store will become the retailer’s second East London site, following its 2023 debut at Westfield Stratford City.

Sophie Smith, News Editor & Senior Writer. 

VIEVE becomes Official Supporter of Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games

I've loved seeing how beauty and sport partnerships continue to gain momentum across both major events and broader brand campaigns. The latest example has seen Scottish beauty brand VIEVE named as an Official Supporter of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. 

Under the new partnership, VIEVE will supply make-up for the artists working across the Games’ 600 cast members, while also providing dedicated support to Team Scotland and offering product sampling opportunities at netball matches throughout the competition.

It follows the launch of a multi-day activation by Wella Professionals at the 2026 British Grand Prix last month, which formed part of its ongoing partnership with the F1 Academy, the all-female racing series. For the three day event, the haircare brand combined trackside beauty experiences, driver meet-and-greets, and social content at the race track.

Beyond live activations, brands are also building the trend into campaign strategy. In May, sportswear brand ASICS launched its first beauty-focused campaign, Get The Glow, highlighting the natural "post-exercise glow" associated with movement and its impact on physical and mental wellbeing.

Camilla Rydzek, Senior News & Features Writer. 

Hospitality rates cut puts wider retail reform in focus

Well, it's a start and it's very early days. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who took office on Monday, has shown he means business when he pledged business rates reform. For too long, retailers have borne an unfair burden when it comes to this tax and it needs to be addressed.

The first beneficiaries of Burnham's reforms will be pubs and social clubs. Night clubs are not included, and nor are, more mysteriously, restaurants. As for bars, well, that apparently is a grey area and it may come down to local authorities to decide who should ultimately benefit from the 20% cut.

Let's start by being positive because apparently more reforms are in the pipeline and it is to be hoped retail will be included in some form (particularly independent retailers) and anything that helps to keep life on our high streets has to be a good thing.

Burnham has clearly chosen to go early with the pubs news since it fits with his personal branding, which centres on supporting "working class values" (though it sits awkwardly to suggest pubs are the preserve of the working class and that the working class will be brought onside thanks to tax relief for pubs) and also because the pub trade has a very high-profile lobbying campaign to push its interests to the top of the Government agenda. Many high profile people got behind the pub industry, including, curiously, former Chancellor Rachel Reeves (who seemed to be able to gloss over the fact that her employer's NI hikes were a major contributing factor to the sector's distress).

Still, good for the pub trade, let's hope the retail industry can keep the pressure on and deliver a similar result.

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

Superdrug expands international beauty offering with K-Beauty and Indian beauty brands

I have been interested in discovering new beauty products from around the world after seeing them on TikTok, but I sometimes find it overwhelming knowing where to start. With K-Beauty, Indian brands and other international beauty movements continuing to grow through social media, making these trends more accessible on the high street feels like an important step in helping consumers explore new routines and ingredients.

What stood out to me most was Superdrug’s focus on turning trend discovery into a more approachable in-store experience. International beauty can sometimes feel unfamiliar to UK shoppers, but giving customers the opportunity to browse, test and understand products before purchasing could help make these categories feel more accessible.

As beauty trends increasingly travel across borders, it will be interesting to see how retailers continue to adapt their offerings to keep up with the growing demand for global brands. Superdrug’s expansion shows how the high street can play an important role in helping consumers discover emerging beauty movements beyond social media.

Catherine Rowe-Kosary, Junior Writer.