Global beauty giant Sephora set to open first store in Brussels

French retailer Sephora is finally putting down its cosmetics bags in the Belgian capital with a new store ready to open in Docks Bruxsel on 26 June, confirmed a representative of the shopping centre.

While another outlet is planned for City 2, Rue Neuve in the city centre of Brussels in July, Sephora will continue its foray into the Belgian market by opening a store at the Médiacité Shopping centre in Liege at the beginning of September. “You asked for it, and now Sephora is coming to Liège too,” the company posted on Instagram.

As for the imminent Brussels opening, it marks “a new step in the brand’s European expansion strategy,” Sephora said in a statement.

Originally founded in 1970 by Dominique Mandonnaud and named after Moses’ beautiful wife Zipporah (Sephora is the Greek/European translation), the company was acquired by French multinational luxury goods conglomerate LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) in 1997.

The beauty label will offer a specially chosen selection to Belgian customers who previously had to travel to Lille or Luxembourg for their favourite products. It will also feature the in-house Sephora Collection, which, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, remains “an essential element of the brand,” said managing director Benoît Ponte.

“We’re starting with Brussels, but this is just the first step,” he explains, noting the brand promises to offer Belgian consumers a unique experience, combining “innovation, personalised support and daily inspiration”.

Some 90 big cosmetic and skincare labels will be available in the Docks store. These include brands making their first appearance in Belgium including ‘Makeup by Mario’, as well as Kosas Cosmetics, Summer Fridays (skincare), Hourglass ‘Cruelty Free Beauty Brand’, Yepoda: Korean Skincare and Laneige: Korean Skincare & Makeup.

They will be sharing shelf space with traditional big skincare and cosmetic brands such as Dior, Guerlain, Clinique, Clarins and Yves Saint Laurent.

“We want to offer a wide selection, combining luxury houses with innovative new products,” says Ponte. “Belgian customers need to feel they are discovering a completely new range.”

Sephora notably offers in-store experiences such as Beauty Hub for bespoke beauty treatments, Beauty Scan for skin analysis, and personalised engraving to transform products into unique items.

The store will also feature dedicated K-Beauty (Korean skincare) zones and ‘Next Big Thing’ sections, showcasing smaller niche brands. Meanwhile the ‘Hot on Social’ display will save customers hours of scrolling on their phones by highlighting the latest viral products.

In addition, Belgium will be the first country where Sephora displays men’s and women’s perfume together: “We want to change the way people approach perfume,” Ponte says.

With more than 3,400 stores and flagship outlets worldwide, Sephora is one of the world’s leading cosmetics retailers.

It sets itself apart from the competition with its varied range featuring sought after brands like Charlotte Tilbury, The Ordinary and Too Faced and celebrity-launched ventures including Rare Beauty (vegan makeup created by Selena Gomez), Fenty Beauty (conceived by Rihanna) and Haus Labs (by Lady Gaga).

The brand also prides itself on diversity – for its employees and for the company’s wide range of products suitable for all hair and skin types: “At Sephora, you come as you are,” Ponte adds. “This is true for our staff, and it’s just as true for our customers.”

Photos: ©Sephora