Beauty consumers are enjoying a bountiful year when it comes to retailer choice. With Superdrug, Boots and Sephora building out their high-profile portfolios with new superstores in key destinations, John Lewis has joined the party. 

The department store business — which is already a key name in beauty retail — is commencing the national rollout of its “immersive, multi-sensory” Beauty Halls, backed by a multi-million-pound investment “designed to transform its stores into beauty discovery destinations”.

John Lewis says the initiative follows 40% sales growth in its beauty category over the last five years.

It begins with the reopening of the John Lewis Liverpool Beauty Hall, a city the retailer regards as its number one regional beauty destination and number two to its London flagship store. 

It becomes the first of six Beauty Halls scheduled for transformation this year and will “serve as the blueprint for the national expansion”, which includes a new partnership with Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty.

The national expansion will bring similar transformations to the Bluewater in Kent, Solihull, and Cambridge stores before the end of 2025.

John Lewis says this “significant investment” is part of a broader £800m commitment to the brand and coincides “with a period of substantial growth in John Lewis’s beauty category”, which has been attracting new customers both in-store and online, and driving customer frequency.

We’re told the new concept “moves beyond the traditional counter-based model, creating expansive, sensory spaces where customers can discover new brands, learn from trusted experts, and experience products through treatments and consultations”.

This focus on service and social shopping journeys is “designed to create a truly integrated experience, where the sensory world of the stores and the convenience of digital channels complement one another”.

The reimagined Liverpool Beauty Hall has been expanded by almost 40% to 16,000 sq ft. It now houses 132 premium brands, features 23 new or expanded counters, and introduces exclusive brands to the city for the first time, including Trinny London, Byredo, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Parfums de Marly, Loewe, and Carolina Herrera.

On completion of the rollout, John Lewis says it will offer over 540 beauty counters, almost 70 dedicated treatment rooms, and more than 400 distinct beauty services nationwide.

Vikki Kavanagh, chief commercial officer at John Lewis, said: “John Lewis is making this commitment because its stores are the physical heartbeat of the brand. While our digital store offers convenience, our physical stores are designed for connection and discovery, ensuring customers receive the full John Lewis experience, however they choose to shop. The vision is for the stores to be destinations where people can discover and shop curated collections, learn from an expert, try a new beauty treatment, or meet a friend for lunch. Ultimately, John Lewis aims for everyone who walks through its doors to leave feeling genuinely inspired.”