LONDON — The British retailer John Lewis on Friday unveiled plans to upgrade its beauty offering by investing millions of pounds and introducing six immersive, multisensory beauty halls across the U.K.
The beauty hall at the John Lewis store in Liverpool, which reopened Friday, offers a glimpse of what kind of transformation five other stores in Bluewater, Solihull and Cambridge will undergo later this year.
Upon completion, John Lewis will offer more than 540 beauty counters, almost 70 dedicated treatment rooms, and more than 400 beauty services nationwide.
With gross area up almost 40 percent to 16,000 square feet, the Liverpool beauty hall has 132 premium brands and features 23 new or expanded counters. Trinny London, Byredo and Maison Francis Kurkdjian are some of the new brands entering Liverpool with John Lewis.
The retailer said the new concept moves beyond the traditional counter-based model. It now puts a big focus on service and social shopping journeys, and encourages customers to discover new brands and experience products through treatments and consultations.
A partnership with Rihanna‘s brand Fenty is part of John Lewis’ beauty push. Rihanna said in a statement that she looks forward to connecting with the retailer’s “amazing beauty community” in the U.K.
John Lewis revealed that it has seen sales of the beauty category increase by more than 40 percent in the last five years. The category attracts new customers in-store and online, and drives customer frequency.
The beauty hall upgrade is part of a broader 800 million pound commitment to the John Lewis brand.
According to Vikki Kavanagh, chief commercial officer at John Lewis, the retailer is making this commitment because its stores are the physical heartbeat of the company.
“While our digital store offers convenience, our physical stores are designed for connection and discovery, ensuring customers receive the full John Lewis experience, however they choose to shop. The vision is for the stores to be destinations where people can discover and shop curated collections, learn from an expert, try a new beauty treatment, or meet a friend for lunch. Ultimately, John Lewis aims for everyone who walks through its doors to leave feeling genuinely inspired,” she added.
Millie Kendall, chief executive officer of the British Beauty Council, believes that these revamps will unlock new experiences for beauty lovers across the U.K. and support the continued growth of the 30.4 billion pound industry.
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