Milestone for Sephora as it hits London and opens the doors to first boutique store in UK market
Sephora UK has officially opened the doors to its first boutique store concept in the UK on London's Carnaby Street. The 2,691 sq ft location has been designed to bring Sephora's premium beauty experience to a more intimate, high street setting, while maintaining its signature service and product offer.
It also introduces Sephora's new Beauty Scan technology. Powered by a lens attached to a Beauty Advisor's phone, this analyses customers' skin to deliver insights beyond app only solutions, including oil and hydration levels for skincare needs and more precise foundation shade matching.
Sarah Boyd, Managing Director, Sephora UK, says: "Today (23rd July) marks an incredibly exciting milestone for Sephora UK as we officially open the doors to our very first boutique in market. Since returning to the UK, our community has continued to ask for more Sephora locations across central London, so we're incredibly proud to bring this exciting new format to one of the world's most iconic shopping destinations after a period of regional expansion.”
She adds: “Everything about this boutique has been designed around how our customers shop today. Whether they're discovering a new brand during their lunch break, browsing with friends at the weekend or looking for personalised beauty advice before an evening out, we've created a space that delivers everything people love about Sephora in a format that feels effortless, inspiring and perfectly suited to the rhythm of city life.”
“Carnaby Street has always been synonymous with creativity, individuality and self-expression values that perfectly reflect our own. We can't wait to welcome both Londoners and visitors from around the world into our newest store as we continue building the future of prestige beauty retail in the UK."
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Physical stores will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
