Beauty retailer Sephora to open first Kent store at Bluewater Shopping Centre in Greenhithe

A multinational beauty retailer is set to open its first store in Kent.

Sephora will be launching at Bluewater Shopping Centre in Greenhithe this winter.

The French company, which was founded in 1969, specialises in makeup, skincare, hair, fragrance, travel and wellness.

It offers nearly 340 local and global brands alongside its private label, the Sephora Collection.

The store will stock Makeup by Mario, GXVE by Gwen Stefani and Haus Labs by Lady Gaga, as well as Glossier, Rare Beauty, Kayali and Glow Recipe.

It will also feature a range of beauty services, which customers can book in advance.

Bluewater is set to be the seventh branch to launch since the retailer came to the UK in 2022.

It follows locations in London’s Westfield White City and Westfield Stratford, Manchester Trafford Centre, as well as soon to open in Newcastle Eldon Square, Gateshead Metrocentre, and Birmingham Bullring.

Sephora UK managing director, Sarah Boyd 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.”

James Waugh, centre director at Bluewater 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.”