In Pictures: Sephora makes grand UK return as Westfield London store opens
Sephora has opened its new store at Westfield London, marking the retailer's bricks and mortar return to the UK market.
The new 6,000+ sq ft space showcases "an exceptional assortment of products and personal services" and "next generation retail design features" for UK consumers to discover.
The store’s façade is wrapped in Sephora's iconic black and white stripes, whilst the interior offers "soft geometric shapes, ambient lighting, textured finishes and succulent greenery to create a warm and inviting atmosphere".
Beauty categories are separated across the space, with overhead signs highlighting the different areas. Areas presented include haircare, skincare, candles and fragrance. Checkouts are located at the rear of the store, separated into staffed and self-service counters.
The heart of the store is defined by a combination of human touch and technology experiences, where a 'Grand Beauty Hub' provides "memorable experiences" for customers as they explore makeup, skincare, haircare, fragrance, bodycare and gifting. As part of this, the space features a Lip Bar, Benefit Brow Bar, and fragrance engraving service.
Customers can also find curated displays dotted around the store, such as 'The Next Big Thing', 'Fragrance Favourites', 'Eye Must Haves', 'Hot on Social' and 'Haircare Bestsellers', which showcase a variety of popular beauty brands and products selected by Sephora.
The store offers over 135 brands, including those exclusive to the UK such as Tarte Cosmetics, ILIA, Makeup by Mario, ONE/SIZE, GXVE by Gwen Stefani, Skinfix, Vegamour, and Sephora's own Sephora Collection. It also stocks a variety of familiar beauty brands, including Huda Beauty, Clinique, Olaplex, Nars, GHD, Fenty Beauty and Jo Malone.
Sarah Boyd, UK Manager at Sephora, said: "We're thrilled to open our first Sephora store in one of London’s most vibrant shopping destination. This new store showcases Sephora's best-in-class beauty expertise and provide unique services to UK customers, including makeup, skincare, haircare, fragrance, bodycare, and personalised gifting."
Sephora originally left the UK market in 2005, having opened a handful of stores. In 2021, as a prelude to its return, Sephora acquired online beauty retailer Feelunique in a £132 million deal. The global beauty retailer then took over Feelunique's former website and launched in the UK online in October 2022.
