Beauty blunder? Space NK’s London Oxford Circus launch draws mixed reviews and long queues chaos

The retailer’s biggest store debut promised a beauty playground and giveaways, but TikTok posts point to long queues, crowd control issues, and gift bag disappointment.

“It’s official, our biggest and best store opening on Oxford Circus was INSANE and it’s thanks to our incredible community,” Space NK announced on LinkedIn on 8th August, celebrating the launch of its largest ever store with a beauty playground, fragrance engraving station, and an exclusive Jellycat bag charm that sold out within hours.

The Oxford Street flagship had been heavily trailled on TikTok in the weeks leading up to its debut, with beauty fans counting down to what many hoped would be the ultimate shopping experience. And while the launch certainly generated buzz (and lengthy queues) the mood on social media after the event was far less unanimous.

TikTok queues up the criticism

While Space NK’s own posts focused on fun, freebies, and in-store activations, TikTok told a different story.

“We queued up at 5am and someone was walking around with security at 6am with a pen and marker numbering each person,” one attendee posted, adding that despite their early start, “by 10am people were pushing into queues… we didn’t get the free bag.”

Another creator, @letmethinkmakeup, said: “People we queued after us managed to receive goody bags for free even though we were told they were finished… Not worth it. Disorganised and very sad. I even bruised my rib [from the] pushing.”

Other users flagged the confusing two queue system. “Space NK Oxford Street queue on both side - worst security,” read one overlay caption, while in the comments, people described “chaos” inside the store and “so many mixed messages” about where to stand and when the giveaways would run out.

User, Freya said, “The event was an absolute joke. The security were awful and rude and there were so many mixed messages. People showed up at 10, skipped the queue and got the free bags."

Goody bags spark biggest backlash

A major draw for the opening was the promise of gift bags for the first 500 people, alongside a “luxury” gift bag for customers spending £100 or more. But for many, this perk didn’t live up to the marketing.

“I got the first 500 and the luxury bag and they are the same! I thought they would be different,” one attendee named Britt on TikTok wrote.

Another named Fae commented: “People who spent £100 got luxury goody bag and minimum spend goody bag. Both has almost same product. That was a joke.”

TikTok creator @letmethinkmakeup, unboxed their bag to find items such as Laura Mercier primer, K18 hair mask, Summer Fridays lip butter, Glossier balm, and Ultra Violette SPF, products also reported in the free bags.

“It’s quite cheeky innit!” they added.

Another poster responded: “It’s not really ‘free’ if you think about it… it’s a clever marketing tactic. People also stood in a queue for six plus hours with poor organisation and communication… the way everything was advertised was not Space NK’s greatest move.”

For others, the value was still there. One TikTok commenter argued: “Seems worth it though - the K18 mask alone is £70… if you got all this for spending £100 I would say that’s a great deal, depends what time you showed up and waited.”

Space NK’s Oxford Circus opening certainly delivered on scale and attention, drawing huge crowds and dominating beauty feeds for the day. But for many who queued for hours, the lasting memory will be of  long lines and gift bags that didn’t quite match the hype.

For a flagship billed as the brand’s biggest and best, the launch proved that in beauty retail, expectations can be as hard to manage as the crowds themselves.

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Social media will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards. which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

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