The French cosmetics and skincare company Sephora will re-enter the United Kingdom next week online and with a flagship location the following year.
And to get here, it only took 17 years and a $147 million transaction.
After only opening six stores in five years, the first of which was in the company’s flagship Bluewater shopping centre outside of London, Sephora infamously left the U.K. retail market in May 2005.
Why did Sephora stop selling in UK?
Although the LVMH-owned retailer blamed rising rents and costs for its previous inability to compete with the established players, it was undoubtedly an embarrassing retreat for a retailer that had high hopes when it first entered the market.
Five years after establishing itself in the nation, Sephora closed its UK operations in 2005. On Monday, the website and app went live. The popular French skincare and cosmetics retailer Sephora, which shut down operations in the UK 17 years ago, is about to reopen there.