Pauline Dolle-Labbe is the marketing and ecommerce director at Sephora UK. She has been at the beauty retailer for just over a year and had previously been working within the parent company LVMH where she had been for over four years as the chief marketing officer at 24S.com- the fashion and luxury multi-brand e-commerce platform of LVMH.
Here she discusses how the reception to Sephora in London has been since opening its White City branch in March- its first UK physical store since exiting its last ones here by 2005, and how big the latest Westfield Stratford store will be that opens to the public on November 15.
Dolle-Labbe also outlines some of the biggest challenges for beauty retailers like Sephora on UK high streets.
The second UK Sephora bricks and mortar store opens in Stratford. How big is it, and how many brands will be stocked there?
We are thrilled to share that the new store will be 503sqm with a 23-metre facade adorned with our iconic black and white stripes.
The store will offer a staggering 125 brands across the makeup, skincare, haircare, fragrance, and wellness categories. Our own globally-renowned brand, Sephora Collection, will feature as well as a host of new and exclusive brands including Adwoa Beauty, Relevant, STRAAND, Salt & Stone and Naked Sundays.
We will of course also be stocking our Sephora UK’s existing selection of exclusive brands including Haus Labs by Lady Gaga, Glossier, GXVE Beauty, ONE/SIZE Beauty, Makeup By Mario, Skinfix, Vegamour, The 7 Virtues and Commodity. In-store exclusives like Glow Hub, Glow Recipe, Coco Cosmetics and Danessa Myricks will be available to discover.
Will some brands owned by your owner LVMH be stocked there?
We are pleased to share Fenty Beauty, Fresh, Benefit Cosmetics, Ole Henriksen, KVD Vegan Beauty, Makeup Forever, Kenzo Parfums, Parfums Givenchy, Dior and more will be stocked in the store.
For those that are not familiar with Sephora shops, can you tell consumers what makes it different to other cosmetics retailers in your opinion?
Sephora is committed to creating an immersive, interactive beauty playground and that is what really sets us apart. We understand that beauty is a sensory experience and as such, the grand Beauty Hub will take a premium position in Stratford with unique beauty services and treatments performed by in-house experts. Excitingly, it will showcase a luxe open plan design that will allow more space for services. Beauty is more than just visual, it's a 360 sensorial experience which we bring to life with a range of services, including facials, skincare treatments, makeovers, brow services and more.
Our beauty advisors are key pillars of all our stores, helping to guide customers with their extensive knowledge of products, makeup techniques and trends.
We also believe that testers are crucial to enhancing the experience. We want our customers to feel confident in their purchases and testers and beauty expertise are key to this.
Community also plays an important role in what makes Sephora stores special, with each individual store working with and bringing in elements that are important to the local area.
Is there any technology or features in the store that make it more modern than a traditional beauty shop?
From start to finish, we want to make the shopping experience as seamless as possible without losing the magic of human interaction. Technology certainly does feature, with self-checkout available to all customers coming to the store that will benefit customers by reducing the time they spend at the till.
Would you categorise Sephora as high-end beauty?
Sephora delivers a high-end experience to our customers, but that does not necessarily mean that every brand we stock is a high price point.
You opened a shop in White City in March. Can you share some stats on how it has performed?
Our first store opening was phenomenal with over 5,000 people attending the opening day and queues stretching down Westfield White City. Sales surpassed all expectations and continue to be +300% up on what was predicted.
Any bumper trading days?
We feel incredibly lucky and thrilled to share that there has been continuous excitement since we have launched in the UK, and that our momentum has remained consistently strong since launch.
Is Sephora, owned by LVMH, wanting to open more UK shops?
We plan to keep expanding Sephora throughout the UK and beyond London, so that each city can have the Sephora experience. The reception in London has been so strong we are excited for this to be brought across the UK.
The reception in London has been so strong we are excited for this to be brought across the UK
Why does the company feel confident to open more UK shops at the moment?
It was always our plan to have Sephora stores across the UK, but given the huge, continued success of our first store - we are feeling incredibly excited for the new launch.
What are the biggest challenges for beauty retailers like Sephora on UK high streets?
Undoubtedly, the cost-of-living crisis is the biggest challenge for all retailers, not just beauty at the moment. This is why it's crucial that Sephora remains a place of discovery, fun and with visitors’ enjoyment at the heart of everything we do. In times like these, more than ever, we want to ensure that consumers are thrilled with their purchases, enjoy their time in store and look forward to their purchases. In addition to this, the Sephora Collection offers a comprehensive line of quality products at an accessible price point. Allowing more customers to enjoy high-performing makeup products.
Some retailers have also struggled to engage customers as they once did, particularly with the rise of online shopping.
For Sephora, having a physical store is integral to our ongoing success - although our online presence is still strong. We have created a space that feels more like a beauty destination rather than a shop. Visitors know that they will have a one-off experience in any Sephora they go to because of our focus on community.
