A major high street beauty brand will open “at least” 20 new stores across the UK. In a rare upturn for the high street, Sephora has confirmed the branches will open over the next two to three years. The expansion of the brand has happened rapidly over this year, with six stores currently open – and one in Liverpool One set to launch next year. Chief Executive Guillaume Motte confirmed: “We’re probably looking in the next two to three years to have at least 20 stores in the UK.”
Motte also hit out at those who said retail and the UK’s high street is “dead”, claiming that “exciting retail is alive and really thriving”. He said: “I know that sometimes we say that retail, and especially retail in the UK has been doom and gloom. My answer to this is always, ‘boring retail is dead, but exciting retail is alive and really thriving.”
(Image: Iain Buist/Newcastle Chronicle)
He also told the Times that while Sephora would never be “number one” in the UK in terms of size – a market dominated by Superdrug and Boots – he hoped the brand would become “the most loved”.
The current list of UK-based Sephora stores:
- Birmingham Bullring
- Manchester Trafford Centre
- Newcastle Eldon Square
- Newcastle Metrocentre
- Westfield Strafrord
- Westfield White City
- Liverpool One (coming soon)
- Bluewater Shopping Centre, Kent (coming soon)
No confirmed new locations have been given by Sephora’s bosses yet, but the good news comes days after leading financial expert Rajeev Shaunak warned over more potential doom and gloom for the UK’s high street.
He said: “Business rates impact particular sectors like consumer and manufacturing more than others. In the case of retailers with a brick-and-mortar model already struggling against online competitors, the reduction in the business rates discount from 75 per cent to 40 per cent (capped at £110,000) from April 2025 will increase pressure on these retailers.
“Given that these businesses by their nature employ more staff, the increase in employers NI and increase in minimum wage will only exacerbate the situation.”
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