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, according to The Times.

"We’re probably looking in the next two to three years to have at least 20 stores in the UK," he told the publication.

Sephora originally left the UK market in 2005, having opened a handful of stores. At the time, sources claimed that high rents and tough competition led to its exit.

In 2021, as a prelude to its return, the retailer acquired Feelunique in a £132 million deal. It then launched in the UK online in October 2022, later opening stores at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford last year.

Sephora has since expanded its presence across the UK, with new stores in Manchester, Newcastle and Birmingham, as well as plans to open in Kent and Liverpool.

Motte said he is confident the retailer will prove successful in the UK this time around due to the improved competition landscape.

"I know that sometimes we say that retail, and especially retail in the UK has been doom and gloom," added Motte.

"My answer to this is always, 'boring retail is dead, but exciting retail is alive and really thriving'."

Sephora’s Birmingham shop, which opened last week, had more than 2,000 shoppers waiting outside, which Motte said was a "testament of people really wanting to live the Sephora experience".

The news comes as Space NK continues to expand its store estate, with plans to open ten new shops next year following a surge in sales and profits.

Superdrug has also been expanding its footprint and Boots has been investing in the category with updated beauty halls and a new Boots Beauty store concept at Battersea Power Station.

Motte admitted that Sephora would "never be No.1 in the UK in terms of size", but that it hopes to become the "most loved" beauty brand.