John Lewis plans £9m beauty hall expansion

John Lewis plans £9m beauty hall expansion

John Lewis is investing £9m in expanding its beauty halls as the market for face creams, makeup and perfumes outperforms fashion.
The department store is to increase the size of its beauty departments in Cambridge, Bluewater in Kent and Cribbs Causeway in Bristol by 50% and modernise four other beauty halls including at Peter Jones in London’s Sloane Square.
The investment, which will bring in new up-market brands including Marc Jacobs Beauty, MAC and Tom Ford Beauty, follows the opening of the department store’s own &Beauty spa in Birmingham and the Clarins Beauty Bar, which opened at John Lewis Oxford Street last year.
Ed Connolly, buying director for fashion and beauty, said: “Beauty is one of the best performing categories at John Lewis and a significant footfall driver, so this investment is a reflection of our ambition in this space.”
The move comes as retailers including Debenhams and Marks & Spencer and supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s also expand their beauty ranges to try to cash in on rising demand.
Sales of colour cosmetics in the UK have risen by a third in the last five years according to Mintel while sales of soap, bath and shower products have risen 4.3%, despite it being a mature market under pressure from discounters.
In contrast, fashion retailers have endured a tough few years as a warm autumn and winter in 2015 hit sales of knitwear and coats while a chilly and wet start to summer 2016 forced many chains into early discounting.