H Beauty to close Bristol store amid growing retail rivalry

Harrods is set to close its H Beauty store at The Mall at Cribbs Causeway in Bristol next month, as competition among beauty retailers in the city continues to intensify.

The store, part of the standalone luxury beauty concept launched by Harrods in 2020, will cease trading on 12 July.

"A decision to not renew the store lease in Cribbs Causeway was taken earlier this year and the store will continue trading until 12 July 2026," a Harrods spokesperson told TheIndustry.beauty.

"As we continue to evolve our store estate, we remain focused on our wider H beauty network and driving progress of our ambitious transformation plan. After the store closes its doors, we welcome customers to continue to shop via our other H beauty locations, our Knightsbridge store, or online at Harrods.com."

The closure will leave H Beauty operating from its remaining locations in Edinburgh's St James Quarter, Essex's Lakeside, Glasgow's Silverburn, Gateshead's Metrocentre, Milton Keynes and Chester, where the retailer recently opened its first North West store.

The move comes as Bristol continues to attract investment from various beauty retailers. Last month, Boots opened a new beauty-only concept store in the city as part of its wider beauty retail expansion strategy. The store features more than 200 brands across skincare, haircare, fragrance, cosmetics, wellness and electrical beauty categories.

Earlier this year, Lookfantastic also opened its second UK store at Bristol's Cabot Circus, offering an experiential retail format that combines product discovery with expert services and community-focused initiatives.

Meanwhile, Marks & Spencer returned to Bristol city centre last year with an 80,000 sq ft flagship store, which includes the retailer's largest beauty hall to date.

The developments reflect ongoing investment in Bristol's beauty retail sector, despite the upcoming closure of H Beauty.