Sephora is set to open a new physical store in Kent’s Bluewater shopping centre this winter – its seventh store in the UK as it strengthens its foothold across the country.

This comes after the beauty giant opened its first store outside London in Manchester’s Trafford Centre in May and announced two new stores in the North East at Newcastle’s Metrocentre and Eldon Square, and one in Birmingham’s Bullring.

Sephora exited the British market in 2005 due to increased competition but returned with its first bricks-and-mortar store at London’s Westfield White City in March 2023.

The beauty giant delivered double-digit growth despite parent group LVMH seeing a fall in sales and profit in the six months to June 30, 2024.

Sarah Boyd, Sephora UK managing director, said: “We are thrilled to continue this momentum of our rapid growth by opening Sephora stores in key shopping destinations such as the iconic Bluewater shopping centre.

“We have loved seeing the enthusiasm and appetite from our customers around the UK of where they would like us to show up, inspiring us to roll out more of our ‘beauty playgrounds’ and unparalleled shopping experiences to some of the nation’s most beloved retail destinations such as Bluewater.”

Bluewater director James Waugh added: “Sephora is one of the most regularly requested brands by our guests, so we’re really excited to be welcoming it to our retail line-up later this year. The brand’s only Kent-based store will be worth the wait for our guests, as it will bring multiple of the world’s most viral beauty brands to Bluewater that our customers wouldn’t have been able to shop for before Sephora’s arrival. We will be announcing more details on the arrival of Sephora in due course, with an expected opening date to be shared as soon as possible.”