Selfridges unveiled its brand-new beauty hall in its Oxford Street flagship after a 12-month, multimillion-pound renovation. The revamped and optimized space, which saw stockrooms being repurposed to host more than 300 beauty brands — with 50 of them exclusive to the U.K. retailer — will also provide more than 200 beauty services with more than 1,000 beauty experts working on the ground. The number of branded counters has been increased by eight. Selfridges has removed interior walls to open up the space that connects the fragrance hall, which is right by the grand main doors to the store, the central beauty hall, and the beauty workshop, a space that used to sell chocolates and leads to the food hall. The new beauty hall enables Selfridges to host a diverse mix of brands in terms of where they are in their journey, or price points. For an optimized shopping experience, Selfridges also improved the sightlines of the space, which opens it up and allows customers to see the entirety of the room regardless of where they are in the beauty hall. A similar improvement was rolled out in 2018 with the renovation of the retailer’s Manchester Trafford store. The main hall is equipped with a new LED lighting system as well.
In a bid to abide by Selfridges’ sustainability ethos, some 74 brands such as Chanel, Prada, Dior, Dries Van Noten, Hermès, and Le Labo will provide more than 2,500 refill options. All brands operating within the beauty hall aim to incorporate refill into their counters by 2025. Some 37 brands — including Charlotte Tilbury, Pat McGrath Labs, Hourglass, Dior, Tom Ford, MFK, Prada, Loewe, Jo Malone, Aesop, Victoria Beckham, Rabanne, Valentino, Dries Van Noten, and Burberry — have created more sustainable new counters in the hall under the Selfridges Sustainable Build Guidelines. Experiences to promote newness are a key attraction of the new beauty hall as well. The space historically has two pop-up spaces on either side of the information desk facing the main entrance. With last year’s north central space renovation, the retailer introduced three experiential play tables — one for hair, one for color, and one for skin. The Beauty Spot, a 330sq ft (30m2) permanent space for creative and experimental beauty retail concepts, will drive more customers to the new beauty hall. It will launch with an exclusive four-month residency from the buzzy, TikTok-famous, U.K.-based cosmetic brand Refy, founded by Jess Hunt and Jenna Meek.
More on the experience front, customers can choose from a head-to-toe menu of beauty services encompassing consultations for color, skin and fragrance, on-counter treatments, personalization, and gift ideas. Estée Lauder, Lancôme and Prada, for example, will offer skin diagnostics and decoding services. MAC offers product personalization with stickers. La Mer has its treatment pods, while Armani will run a glow bar. Charlotte Tilbury, meanwhile, will provide virtual ‘try-ons’ and mini masterclasses on the spot. Next to the beauty spot, there is the beauty concierge, where customers can book beauty appointments, masterclasses, and expert advice across every brand. It offers beauty services including a beauty bag makeover and a Selfridges beauty tour. The concierge is supported by a team of eight experts who can speak more than 20 languages between them. The launch is accompanied by a dedicated campaign called Big City Beauty shot by Sam Youkilis. A program of beauty events will be held each weekend throughout June across the company’s stores in London, Birmingham and Manchester.