Sephora shoppers queue overnight to be first inside Newcastle store

Sephora has officially opened the gates of heaven - in other words, its fourth UK store at Eldon Square in Newcastle. Thanks to the beauty retailer's loyal following, footfall for the centre was up by 14% on opening day, with 500 shoppers queuing to be the first inside.

Shoppers in Newcastle's Eldon Square queued up to experience the new store on 13 September and be in with a chance of receiving a limited-edition free goody bag. With the first shopper joining at 3 pm the previous day, the final number of eager shoppers reached over 500 before the beauty giant opened its doors.

On opening day, Eldon Square saw footfall increase by 14%, in comparison to the same date last year, with footfall up 16% in comparison to the same week in 2023.

Sephora’s latest space at Eldon Square sees the beauty retailer taking over a unit that is 6,515 square feet and offers shoppers a wide array of brands across beauty, cosmetics, haircare, skincare and more. Glossier, Makeup by Mario, GXVE by Gwen Stefani and Haus Labs by Lady Gaga are just a few cult-favourite brands that'll be on offer.

The new Sephora store joins a host of other health and beauty stores at Eldon Square including John Lewis & Partners, Fenwick, KIKO Milano, Molton Brown, Rituals and Cover Beauty.

Matthew Beddow, Eldon Square Director, said: "Adding Sephora to Eldon Square has been a huge move for us and we are proud to host the beauty retailer and to bring its plethora of brands to shoppers in Newcastle.

"The footfall and huge interest in the opening are positive signs, and we are confident that Sephora will provide an additional boost to revenue, sales and visitor figures for the second half of 2024."

Sarah Boyd, MD of Sephora UK, added: "We are thrilled to bring Sephora to the dynamic city of Newcastle, with its unique character and unparalleled passion for beauty. The North East is an important region for us and Eldon Square is the perfect regional retail destination, with its city centre location, like-minded brands and exceptional shopper profile. We are confident that it will be a huge success."

It also recently opened the doors to a new flagship at The Trafford Centre in Manchester, marking the global beauty retailer's debut in the North of England and third location in the UK.

Sephora originally left the UK market in 2005, having opened a handful of stores. In 2021, as a prelude to its return, the retailer acquired Feelunique in a £132 million deal. It then took over Feelunique's former website and launched in the UK online in October 2022, later opening stores at Westfield London in March 2023 and Westfield Stratford in November 2023.