Sephora plans to roll out a new shop-in-shop concept called « Sephora at M&S » in selected Marks & Spencer stores in the United Kingdom, as well as on the retailer's website, starting in spring 2027, according to an article by Cosmetics Business. M&S has 1,049 stores in the United Kingdom; the goal would be to install Sephora shops in around a hundred of them over time.
Sarah Boyd, managing director of Sephora UK, presents the United Kingdom as a priority market for the retailer. « C'est un marché très stratégique et important pour Sephora, où nous voulons gagner », she explains. She adds that she wants to consolidate Sephora's place in the British beauty landscape, which she describes as « le plus grand marché de la beauté en Europe, environ un tiers plus important que la France ».
Immediate access to high streets
For Boyd, M&S's network offers Sephora a logistical shortcut. « Si je devais ouvrir 100 de mes propres magasins, ce serait difficile, mais M&S est présent partout, c'est là que les clients font déjà leurs achats, donc cela nous donne un accès immédiat aux rues commerçantes », she notes. She also highlights the trust the retailer has already built: « M&S a la confiance, l'infrastructure, et les consommateurs sont déjà là, alors quelle meilleure façon de compléter notre maillage. »
Sephora UK, which returned to the market three years ago, plans to reach 19 stores by the end of the year. « Nous avons eu une réponse si positive depuis notre retour au Royaume-Uni, et nous aurons 19 magasins d'ici la fin de l'année, mais la vitesse d'exécution pour ouvrir des magasins partout au Royaume-Uni prend du temps », says Boyd, who already points to coverage across several major British cities.
M&S, a partner in the midst of a turnaround
The executive describes M&S, a 142-year-old institution, as an « icône du commerce britannique » and a « trésor national à part entière », recalling that the retailer « a le score de confiance le plus élevé de tous les détaillants au Royaume-Uni ». According to YouGov data from 2025, M&S far outperforms the average fashion retailer on several customer metrics: 50.5 points versus 10.6 for customer impression, 54.9 versus 11.9 for quality, and 51.8 versus 9.7 for satisfaction. These figures come as M&S has in recent years orchestrated a turnaround of its fashion business, transforming an offering once seen as out of step into a sought-after division.
2027 is shaping up to be a busy year for Sephora UK: in addition to launching the shop-in-shop with M&S, the LVMH-owned retailer plans to open its third intimate-format store and new destination department stores, its « temples of beauty ».
