Sephora’s CEO has announced it is aggressively expanding its UK market presence, aiming to challenge established players like Boots.
Guillaume Motte told The Times he had ambitious plans to double the company’s UK footprint within the next two to three years.
“We’re probably looking in the next two to three years to have at least 20 stores in the UK,” he said.
The beauty retailer’s current UK presence is six stores in London’s Westfield shopping centres in White City and Stratford, as well as Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle. Expansion plans include new stores in Kent’s Bluewater shopping centre and Liverpool.
This is Sephora’s second attempt at conquering the British market after its retreat in 2005. The return comes in a changed retail landscape with former competitors like Debenhams no longer on the high street and Frasers having closed several stores.
Motte 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.”
Motte said Sephora would “never be number one in the UK in terms of size” but that it hopes to become the “most loved” beauty brand.
This strategy positions Sephora to capitalise on the experiential aspect of beauty shopping, setting it apart in a competitive market. Founded in France in 1970, Sephora has a global network of about 3,000 stores across 35 countries, employing around 46,000 people.
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