Sephora UK opened a new beauty retail destination in the Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent. The latest beauty playground, which boasts an impressive 4,593 square footage of total floor space, is the seventh store to open in the UK and the first store to open in the South East of England
Before the official grand opening at 9am, anticipation and excitement filled the halls of Bluewater with queues of eager customers to be the first ones to come through the doors of the beloved mega beauty playground and to receive one of the 500 coveted goody bags.
“Bluewater marks our seventh store opening in the UK, and like the rollout of our other stores, the grand opening response from our shoppers has been a real testament to the growing community of passionate beauty customers that continue to drive our success in market. I’ve loved witnessing the enthusiasm and appetite from the crowds coming into our store this morning, especially on the heels of the busiest shopping weekend of the year, and it is certainly a wonderful way to celebrate our last store opening of the year.” Sarah Boyd, Managing Director, Sephora UK.
From 7AM, queuing customers were treated to a slew of entertainment and hospitality from Sephora, with host and Drag King MC Don One kicking off the festivities in the morning, music from DJ Jack Mudd, beverages and treats from Jimmy’s Iced Coffee, Pret a Manger and Cano Water.
On opening morning, Bluewater Shopping Centre saw over 1000 customers queue outside the Sephora store with many more shoppers expected to come today and this weekend, especially timed with the Black Friday shopping weekend. Throughout opening day, those in line can expect a variety of surprise and delight moments, including birthday celebrations for those celebrating in line, giveaways from partner brands Benefit, Tatcha, Dr Sam Skincare and Gisou, and opportunities for customers to spin to win prizes from brands such as Sunday Riley, Tatcha, Rare Beauty and Haus Labs.
Lucky beauty enthusiasts who couldn’t make opening day will still have the opportunity to enjoy surprise beauty treats over the weekend, and fans are advised to tune into Sephora UK’s Instagram for live updates.
Like all Sephora stores, customers at the Bluewater location will be able to shop from an incredible selection of expertly curated, ground-breaking local and global brands that have disrupted the beauty industry across makeup, travel, fragrance, skincare, haircare, grooming and wellness categories. As part of the unparalleled shopping experience that Sephora strives to provide, beauty enthusiasts can indulge in the artistry of Makeup by Mario, grab virally loved products from One/Size by Patrick Starrr, express themselves with Haus Labs by Lady Gaga, discover cult skincare favourites from Dr. Sam’s, and jump on the TikTok trends with beloved Topicals – all of which are exclusive to Sephora UK.
Plus, customers can get their hands on viral beauty products from the likes of Glossier, Rare Beauty, Tarte, Sol de Janeiro, Kayali, and Glow Recipe, along with the extensive and high-quality own brand Sephora Collection. From their range of bright coloured face masks to the best-selling Sephora Collection Size Up Mascara, customers can purchase from the brand’s wide and diverse collection across skincare, makeup, haircare, body care, and travel.
James Waugh, Centre Director at Bluewater, commented: “We are thrilled to officially welcome Sephora to Bluewater today. Since announcing the brand’s arrival in August, the anticipation from our guests has been incredible to witness, and the number of shoppers we have seen already today really demonstrates the excitement here. The store’s opening couldn’t come at a better time, aligning perfectly with Black Friday and Christmas shopping season, alongside a flurry of other incredible brands opening their first Kent-based stores here at Bluewater.”