Sephora announces opening dates for its first Belgian stores

Next week, the French cosmetics chain Sephora will open its long-awaited first Belgian store at the Docks Bruxsel shopping center. A second Brussels location will follow two weeks later at the City2 shopping center.

Long-awaited

Sephora had previously announced the Belgian store openings but has only now revealed the specific dates. The retailer will open at Docks Bruxsel on June 25. The store at City2 will follow two weeks later, on July 9.

The opening date for the third Belgian store, in Liège, has not yet been announced. Flanders will have to wait a little longer for its first Sephora, as the chain plans to open about ten stores in the French-speaking part of the country first.

Shoppers are looking forward to the chain’s arrival, as it sells many exclusive brands, has a strong selection of private-label products, and offers services such as the Beauty Scan—which provides a comprehensive skin analysis—and an engraving service that allows certain products to be personalized.

Competitors are also keeping a close eye on the newcomer. The market leader in Belgium is ICI Paris XL, a subsidiary of AS Watson. Douglas is rapidly gaining ground and is very popular among young shoppers. A third player is April, formerly Planet Parfum, which is owned by the French group Bogart.