Sephora opens second UK store, big queues form ahead of debut

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Nov 16, 2023

Sephora opened its second UK store this week with queues forming outside Sephora East, its new location at Westfield in Stratford that follows the launch earlier this year at the Westfield London shopping mall.

The company arranged a number of opening events with a launch party the night before its debut featuring a number of celebrities as well as entertainment that continued on the official opening day.

It said that queues began to form outside the store at 9 pm on the evening before it opened with around 2,000 customers waiting to get in at 10 am on opening day.

The retailer’s marketing and e-commerce director Pauline Dolle-Labbe said the crowds were a testament to the UK’s growing appetite for the brand.

And there’s plenty of evidence for that, although the appetite was clearly boosted by shoppers knowing that the first 500 customers would be receiving a goodie-filled gift bag (an initiative that’s continuing in the first few days).

The new store has a 23 metre façade with “an ultra-modern interior [that] follows the distinctive codes of the first store, with soft geometric shapes, ambient lighting, textured finishes, and greenery”.

It’s home to over 125 brands, including its own label, as well as Haus Labs by Lady Gaga, Glossier, GXVE Beauty, One/Size Beauty, Makeup By Mario, Skinfix, Vegamour, The 7 Virtues and Commodity. 

It also features new brands including Adwoa Beauty, Relevant, Straand, Salt & Stone and Naked Sundays. In-store exclusives like Glow Hub, Glow Recipe, Coco Cosmetics and Danessa Myricks.

Straand is an Australian scalp/haircare brand and its debut at Sephora also marked its arrival in the UK. It only launched in its domestic market last year, and has built up a strong following for its microbiome-focused range.