In Review 2024: Store openings, refurbs and expansions
This year has seen a lot of change in the beauty industry, with many brands and retailers opening new retail locations, upsizing existing stores, and expanding their estate.
As we approach 2025, TheIndustry.beauty highlights the top store openings, refurbs and expansions of 2024, as well as a look towards some of next year's upcoming openings.
New flagships & concepts
Diptyque debuts new store concept as it opens New Bond Street flagship
Diptyque opened a new flagship at 107 New Bond Street in London, taking over a large three-story apartment as the brand introduced its new store concept, Maisons Diptyque. Part boutique, part cultural space, the space blends the brand's emblematic creations with a range of artistic and cultural experiences, all housed in an architectural setting "reminiscent of the apartment of a Parisian aesthete".
In Pictures: Lush opens new Covent Garden flagship with second London spa
Lush opened a new flagship in London's Covent Garden, offering the brand’s fresh, handmade cosmetics and 12 different spa treatments. The store also features a curated collection of previously discontinued products from the archives loved by the shop team. Its launch marked the brand's return to Covent Garden after 11 years away, having previously operated a shop in this location from 1998-2013.
Everything you need to know about Liberty's new luxury fragrance lounge
Following the successful launch of LBTY in 2023, London-based department store Liberty continued to solidify its position as "the ultimate destination for the finest and most distinctive fragrance offerings globally" with a new, first-of-its-kind fragrance destination. The Fragrance Lounge represents a "significant departure from the conventional retail landscape in Central London" with a unique concierge desk service designed for guests to discover fragrances based on olfactory family rather than brand.
Superdrug opens largest UK store in London
Superdrug opened a new flagship at Westfield Stratford in June, marking the retailer's largest UK store to date. The 9,890 sq ft store, which represents a significant upsize from its previous unit at the East London shopping centre, offers customers access to the latest health and beauty products. It also features a new beauty studio and fragrance counter.
In Pictures: Lush opens new Perfume Library concept in London's Soho
Lush debuted a new Perfume Library concept in London's Soho earlier this year, offering exclusive launches and consultations with fragrance experts. Located at 67-71 Beak Street, the concept allows customers to explore a wide selection of perfumes and home fragrances.
Debut stores
Lookfantastic opens new concept store that 'redefines retail'
Lookfantastic opened its first-ever concept store, bringing the retailer from URL to IRL on the outskirts of Manchester. Here, the retailer is on a mission to "redefine retail" as community-driven and educational. Spanning makeup, skincare, haircare and fragrance, brands include Color Wow, Sol De Janeiro, NARS and YSL, amongst others, plus a range of personalised beauty services.
In Pictures: Trinny London opens first-ever flagship store
Trinny London opened its debut flagship store at 31 King's Road in London's Chelsea, marking a milestone moment for the British brand as it continues to grow. Spread across two levels, the space offers the brand's full suite of products and services, including cleansers, exfoliators and serums, as well as foundations, blushers, lipsticks, and more.
Facetheory opens first-ever store following big re-brand
Skincare brand Facetheory selected London's Regent Street as the location for its first-ever store. Situated in the Quadrant Arcade, the new flagship champions skincare education, promising customers "a beauty shopping experience like no other" with its 'lab-meets-store' concept.
Grown Alchemist opens debut UK flagship in London's Soho
Grown Alchemist opened in London's Soho, marking its first flagship outside of Australia and an exciting chapter in its global growth. Located at 35 Beak Street, the new store promises to deliver a luxe skincare experience centred around advanced biotech-based skin and body care formulas. It features the brand's full product line-up, as well as bespoke skincare consultations and exclusive treatments.
In Pictures: Bath & Body Works opens first standalone store in London
US-based beauty brand Bath & Body Works opened at Westfield London. The 2,357 sq ft space features its premium range of beauty products, from bath and bodycare to candles. The opening marked the brand's first standalone store and strengthened its commitment to the UK market, having previously launched at NEXT online and through concession-style spaces in its stores.
BPerfect opens first store in England at Manchester Arndale
BPerfect selected Manchester Arndale for its first store in England. The Irish colour cosmetics brand - renowned for its influencer and makeup artist collaborations - signed a five-year lease for a 2,000 sq ft space. The opening in Manchester strengthened its store portfolio, which already boasts outlets in Belfast, Dublin and Glasgow.
Refurbs
In Pictures: Inside The Ordinary's revamped Covent Garden flagship store
Skincare brand The Ordinary unveiled its newly renovated flagship store in London's Covent Garden. The brief was to elevate the existing experience, creating an immersive environment that is easy to navigate. The new store aims to feel aspirational while balancing simplicity and minimalism, qualities the skincare brand is known for.
John Lewis launches beauty-led store makeovers as part of £800m investment
John Lewis is launching major store makeovers as part of an £800 million investment plan that will include expanding its beauty halls. As part of this, the British department store revealed a significant shake-up to its flagship on London's Oxford Street in October, including a new, larger beauty hall and dedicated fragrance space.
In Pictures: Selfridges unveils "beauty destination of the future"
Selfridges completed its 12-month Beauty Hall renovation earlier this year. The revamped space reflects its founder's "everyone is welcome" manifesto, with products from a bestselling £6 lipstick to a rare £2,500 fragrance available. In addition, the new architecture prioritises sight lines for clear views, better navigation and enhanced accessibility.
Fenwick opens largest Beauty Hall in North East
Fenwick transformed its Beauty Hall in Newcastle, marking its largest outside of London. Stocking more than 160 brands, the new space boasts two new enlarged atriums, 56 ft facade windows, and a 50-foot-long fragrance bar. It also features 23 new beauty counters.
Expansions
Sephora continues UK expansion
Having previously left the UK market in 2005, Sephora returned to the region online in October 2022 and opened stores at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford in 2023. This year, the retailer continued to grow its UK store estate, with new openings in Newcastle, Manchester, Kent, Birmingham and Gateshead. CEO Guillaume Motte said he is "confident" Sephora will prove successful in the UK this time around due to the improved competition landscape.
K-Beauty retailer PURESEOUL to open second store outside London
K-beauty retailer PURESEOUL opened at the Bullring in Birmingham, marking its regional debut and second store outside London. Located on the middle level of the retail destination, the 800 sq ft space stocks more than 900 products across makeup, skincare, and haircare.
Thérapie Clinic reveals expansion plans with 800 new jobs following collapse of Skin
Aesthetic treatment provider Thérapie Clinic announced plans to open 50 new clinics and create 800 new jobs over the next three years, following the collapse of fellow cosmetic surgery chain Skin earlier this year. Five more clinics have opened across the UK this year alone as the business seeks to strengthen its presence and accessibility.
Space NK opens at Manchester’s Trafford Centre as it continues to invest in UK stores
Space NK opened a new flagship store at The Trafford Centre in Manchester this summer, strengthening the beauty retailer's presence in the city and across the UK. It also opened a new flagship at Manchester Arndale Shopping Centre. Elsewhere in the UK, the British business unveiled a second store in Dublin, as well as new locations in Southampton, Exeter and Milton Keynes.
What's coming in 2025
Charlotte Tilbury to open biggest ever store with new 'Skin Spa' concept in London
Charlotte Tilbury is opening a new flagship in London's Covent Garden next month, marking its biggest-ever store and the debut of its first-ever Skin Spa. Opening its doors on 9 January 2025, the new store promises a "fully immersive Charlotte Tilbury experience like never before", showcasing the brand's full range of makeup, skincare and fragrance, as well as new services.
Bath & Body Works selects Liverpool for new UK store
Bath & Body Works is set to make its city debut at Liverpool ONE early next year, as the US-based brand continues to strengthen its presence across the UK. The new store will stock the brand's extensive selection of personal care products, candles, and seasonal collections.
Sephora to open 20 new UK stores as it unveils ambitious expansion plans
Sephora is planning to open 20 UK stores as the global beauty retailer strengthens its bricks-and-mortar presence. CEO Guillaume Motte said he wanted to double the size of the business in Britain by launching new shops as well as expanding its online channel over the next two to three years. As for 2025, Sephora has already announced its upcoming opening at Liverpool ONE next spring.
Space NK to continue store expansion
Space NK plans to open ten new stores next year as it continues to invest in the UK high street following a surge in sales and profits. Last month, CEO Andy Lightfoot said he was a "real believer" in bricks-and-mortar retail and had a pipeline of new openings in high streets and shopping centres across the UK. He added that the business had "quite a long runway" for increasing its store estate and would open a similar number of outlets each year for the foreseeable future.
