It was already known that the French cosmetics chain Sephora was planning to expand into Belgium. Now the plans have become more concrete: the first stores will open in Brussels. Only after about ten stores have opened in the French-speaking part of the country will the chain expand into Flanders.
Flanders will have to wait
The indoor shopping center Docks Bruxsel will be the first to host a Sephora store, which is set to open there in June. Shortly thereafter, the City2 shopping center, also in Brussels, will follow. Later, the retailer plans to open about ten stores in the French-speaking part of the country before making the move to Flanders, according to L’Echo.
In January, Sephora confirmed its arrival in Belgium, which had been the subject of rumors for some time. The retailer has already launched a recruitment campaign targeting sales associates and sales managers who are passionate about beauty. Sephora currently operates 3,400 stores and digital platforms across 35 markets, employing 50,000 people.
The Belgian launch is an event that could have a major impact on the market, where ICI Paris XL, a subsidiary of AS Watson, remains the market leader for now. Newcomer Douglas is very popular among young shoppers, while questions are arising about the position of April, formerly Planet Parfum, which is owned by the French group Bogart.
