Cosmetics giant Sephora opened its first store in Belgium on Thursday.
From the early hours, young and old queued up to catch a glimpse of the new branch in the Docks Bruxsel shopping centre in Brussels. It is a first step in conquering the Belgian market.
For many, the French beauty retailer Sephora is the mecca of makeup, skincare products, and perfumes. The store built a strong online reputation with an army of influencers and is popular due to its extensive range.
Worldwide, Sephora has more than 3,400 stores offering around 500 brands alongside its own collection. The chain is particularly popular among young people. Many parents were already forced to make trips to the nearest stores abroad, such as the one in Lille. But as of today, that is a thing of the past.
With exactly 270 square meters of retail space, enthusiasts can now find their favourite brands in Belgium as well. In addition, the store offers makeup advice, a comprehensive skin analysis, and an engraving service.
For Cathérine Spindler, General Manager of Sephora Europe, the time was right to come to Belgium. “Belgium is a mature and sophisticated market for luxury beauty products with well-informed and engaged consumers,” she says. “We knew that we were eagerly awaited in Belgium and have seen growing interest in our brand for several years.”
In July, another store will open its doors in the City 2 shopping centre in Brussels. Two more Sephoras will be added before the end of the year.
The ultimate goal is to be represented in a large part of Belgium, they say. That is why the retailer plans to open a large number of stores next year.
