H Beauty is a British chain of beauty stores established in 2020 by the Harrods Group. It is comparable to Sephora and Ulta Beauty, both of which lack significant presence in the United Kingdom. They are located exclusively outside of London city limits to gain market share beyond the reach of the flagship Harrods store in Knightsbridge.
History.
The flagship Harrods department store unveiled its renovated beauty department and skincare department in June and October 2019, respectively. That November, the Harrods Group announced H Beauty as "a major extension to [their] current beauty business" that underscored their confidence in the beauty industry in the United Kingdom. Industry analysts stated that the specialty store concept was a defensive strategy in light of the retail apocalypse, which saw brick-and-mortar department stores disproportionately impacted.
The first location was originally scheduled to open in spring 2020, however, ultimately opened at the Lakeside Shopping Centre in Thurrock, Essex that September. The first location in Scotland (third overall) opened at St James Quarter in Edinburgh in December 2021.
Operations.
H Beauty features beauty products from nearly 80 brands, compared to the nearly 250 brands carried at the flagship store. The target market consists of "younger, regional [customers]" that differs from the older, tourist traffic in Knightsbridge. Selling space ranges between at St James Quarter in Edinburgh, and at MetroCentre in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear.