LONDON – Harrods is on the move, with plans to test a new beauty standalone store concept called H Beauty.
The first store will open in April, 2020 in the Lakeside, Essex shopping mall, about 20 miles from London, while the second will open in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, about 50 miles from the capital.
The stores will offer premium beauty, cosmetics, skincare and fragrance products, and measure in excess of 20,000 square feet each.
It is understood that Harrods will test the market with these stores before committing to further rollout plans in the U.K. The stores will also offer some beauty services, and have coffee-to-cocktail bars.
There is only one Harrods flagship, in Knightsbridge, London, and it is understood the stores will in no way resemble Harrods, or its airport shop-in-shops. Even the branding will be new, with Harrods swapping its usual forest green for blush pink.
Over the past months, Harrods has been pumping up its beauty offer in Knightsbridge, re-designing the halls for a new generation of shoppers and putting the emphasis on services, exclusives, J-Beauty and experiential shopping.
Earlier this month, more than 40 brands — across wellness, naturals, J-beauty, medi-cosmetics and technology — opened in the store’s new skincare destination, the second in a three-phase project that will see the transformation of Harrods’ entire beauty offer.
Over the summer, the Beauty Halls opened with color cosmetics and lifestyle brands, while the final instalment, the downstairs treatment, masterclass rooms and beauty concierge, will be revealed at the end of January.
The overhaul is being overseen by Harrods’ director of beauty, Annalise Fard, whose vision has been to broaden and upgrade Harrods’ offer and retail experience and to ensure the retailer remains competitive in a sector of the market that is dominated by Instagram, e-commerce, peer-to-peer recommendations and tutorials and community.
When phases one, two and three are complete, the halls will be 53 percent bigger than the former space and will have taken over the former men’s wear rooms on the ground floor, the current beauty hall and the lower ground floor of Harrods.
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