Going it alone: How beauty brands are welcoming in a new era of retail

By Sarah Parsons | Published: 10-Jan-2018
Colour Cosmetics Fragrance Retail

More and more beauty brands are prioritising standalone flagship stores over department store concessions to create a 'sweet shop effect' and shoppers are hooked

You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
Click here to find out more.
Going it alone: How beauty brands are welcoming in a new era of retail
Going it alone: How beauty brands are welcoming in a new era of retail

Are beauty boutiques today’s answer to the sweet shops of our childhood? It certainly seems to look that way.

Like kids in a candy store, today more consumers are flocking to standalone and specialist beauty shops than ever before and it’s no coincidence. In 2017, there was a sharp uprise in flagship stores openings, including Tom Ford, L’Occitaine and Aesop, not to mention a host of retailers dedicated solely to beauty, such as MMUK and Indulge.

Not yet a Subscriber?

This is a small extract of the full article which is available ONLY to premium content subscribers. Click below to get premium content on Cosmetics Business.

Subscribe now Already a subscriber? Sign in here.
See more

You may also like

You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
Click here to find out more.
Body Care
Cosmetics Business picks: 20 of the best Christmas gift sets for 2026

Cosmetics Business picks: 20 of the best Christmas gift sets for 2026

Read more
With the festive period just around the corner, beauty brands are launching limited-edition gifting options, from full routine sets to decorative baubles adorned with products. CB rounds up 20 of the best Christmas gift sets for this holiday season

Trending Articles

  1. Olive Young to open five more US stores in significant K-beauty expansion K-Beauty retailer Olive Young’s new US stores will be located across Greater Los Angeles and San Diego, with plans to complete construction on all five sites in the first half of 2027
  2. You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
    Click here to find out more.
    Cosmetics Business picks: 7 need-to-know beauty launches for November New fragrances by Orebella and Parfums de Marly, Loewe’s The Nightmare Before Christmas collections and Amika and The Nue Co’s entries into body care are among this week’s best new beauty launches
  3. You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
    Click here to find out more.
    Maybelline New York updates its 35-year-old ‘Maybe she’s born with it’ tagline The L’Oréal-owned make-up brand has revamped its famous tagline, which first debuted in 1991, to reflect the brand’s “next chapter” and how women see beauty today. Sandrine Jolly, Global Brand President of Maybelline New York, reveals the new tagline and campaign with Miley Cyrus below
  4. You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
    Click here to find out more.
    Are we going back to the 2000s celebrity fragrance wardrobe era? With a plethora of celebrities entering fragrance, from rappers Megan Thee Stallion and Ice Spice to singer Tate McRae, perfume collections are beginning to reflect the A-list-founded wardrobes of the early 2000s. But can celebrity fragrance find itself at the forefront once again?
  5. Ulta Beauty unveils star-studded holiday campaign with Selena Gomez and Tate McRae Ulta Beauty’s 2026 festive campaign has arrived, featuring a star studded cast including beauty brand founders Selena Gomez, Tate McRae and Tracee Ellis Ross,

Upcoming event

Hair Care Trends for 2027

3 December and 10 December 2026 | Virtual See all

You may also like

You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
Click here to find out more.
Body Care
Cosmetics Business picks: 20 of the best Christmas gift sets for 2026

Cosmetics Business picks: 20 of the best Christmas gift sets for 2026

With the festive period just around the corner, beauty brands are launching limited-edition gifting options, from full routine sets to decorative baubles adorned with products. CB rounds up 20 of the best Christmas gift sets for this holiday season
You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
Click here to find out more.
Skin Care
Luneia Brands brings K-beauty to Selfridges through Medicube and Biodance counters

Luneia Brands brings K-beauty to Selfridges through Medicube and Biodance counters

UK beauty distributor Luneia Brands will unveil permanent standalone counters for Korean skin care giants Biodance and Medicube as luxury department store Selfridges opens its new dedicated K-beauty destination
Colour Cosmetics
Estée Lauder names Executive Director, Global Communications, Make-up Brands to drive ‘relevance’

Estée Lauder names Executive Director, Global Communications, Make-up Brands to drive ‘relevance’

Rachele Testa Schaefers has joined Estée Lauder Companies as Executive Director, Global Communications, Make-up Brands to lead ‘a social-first, culture-led’ strategy for the portfolio, including MAC Cosmetics and Bobbi Brown Cosmetics
Retail
Selfridges unveils Christmas campaign in London, Manchester, Birmingham and digital stores

Selfridges unveils Christmas campaign in London, Manchester, Birmingham and digital stores

Luxury British department store chain Selfridges has released its Christmas campaign, taking consumers around the world through festive cityscapes and in-store experiences
You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
Click here to find out more.
Finance
L’Oréal to Sol de Janeiro: brands shaping the future of beauty travel retail in 2026

L’Oréal to Sol de Janeiro: brands shaping the future of beauty travel retail in 2026

Travel retail is proving itself to be the secret home of luxury in 2026. But as dupes give rise to a consumer who wants value over quality, Cosmetics Business explores why more beauty brands are investing in, and bolstering, their travel retail offering this year
Recruitment
Estée Lauder Companies strengthens Kilian Paris and Frédéric Malle leadership with Guillaume Gellusseau

Estée Lauder Companies strengthens Kilian Paris and Frédéric Malle leadership with Guillaume Gellusseau

Guillaume Gellusseau has been named SVP and GM for two of Estée Lauder Companies’ fragrance brands, Kilian Paris and Parfums Frédéric Malle
Body Care
Shark, Makeup by Mario and Dcypher crowned Pure Beauty Awards 2026 winners

Shark, Makeup by Mario and Dcypher crowned Pure Beauty Awards 2026 winners

Dcypher, Jo Malone London, Sculpted by Aimee, Makeup by Mario and Shark are among the beauty brands crowned the best in the business across 21 categories at the Pure Beauty Awards 2026, which took place at London’s Grosvenor House in the UK
Subscribe now