Glossier Plans U.K. Sephora Launch With Big Hopes and Ambitions
LONDON — Glossier, the buzzy beauty brand for Millennials, is partnering up with beauty retailer Sephora in the U.K.
Under its new chief executive officer Kyle Leahy, Glossier still has many of the same ambitions that its founder, Emily Weiss, had when she set up the business in 2014.
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Glossier’s first retail partnership with Sephora kicked off earlier this year in the U.S. and Canada, which Leahy said was met with “incredible results,” hence the expansion into the European market.
“We have incredible resonance as a brand in that market [the U.K.] and one of our crown jewel stores is Covent Garden, where we continue to see so much demand for the brand from both the tourist and local community,” said Leahy in a Zoom call.
Glossier will have its own special gondola at the Westfield store in White City from Sept. 15 featuring the signature Millennial pink hue and the “You Look Good” mirror. The brand will also merchandise its popular fragrance, You, an opportunity that’s not often considered for other brands.
Leahy revealed that the brand sells a bottle of the fragrance every 39 seconds.
This offering will be extended to Sephora’s second store, which opens its doors in November in London’s Stratford.
Sarah Boyd, Sephora’s U.K. country director, said that the retailer will be branching out of London and into new cities next year. She reiterated that 80 percent of Sephora’s sales are being delivered outside of London.
Her ambitions are to drive the retailer to “all corners of the U.K. with next-day delivery and very low free-shipping thresholds,” she said.
Boyd added that the partnership with Glossier spread overseas because the “U.K. consumer is always seeking out the hottest brands, especially those out of the U.S.”
Sephora’s EVP and global chief merchandising officer Artemis Patrick said that the partnership has “surpassed our expectations from the onset.”
In March, Glossier tapped Chitra Balireddi as its new chief commercial officer responsible for driving Glossier’s global business across distribution channels. She previously held senior leadership roles at Chanel, and most recently served as a strategic adviser for consumer brands and consumer tech companies at CLYBL Advisory.
Balireddi said the focus of Glossier is on community when in the U.K.
The brand will be hosting an activation at Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace in west London with British makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes open for the public and press.
“Gen Z is particularly focused on experience and at Glossier, we deliver both products and experiences,” said Leahy, explaining that the brand has replatformed by redesigning its website and digital positioning.
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