Sephora Opens First Scottish Store In Edinburgh

Sephora UK has opened its first Scottish store at Edinburgh’s St James Quarter, beginning an eight-week expansion programme that will add four UK locations under the retailer’s “Sephora Summer” initiative.

The 4,961 sq ft St James Quarter store is the 15th UK location for Sephora UK and its third opening of 2026. A second Scottish store at Glasgow Silverburn is due to open in August, while boutiques on London’s Carnaby Street and at Old Spitalfields Market will open in the coming days. Together, the four launches represent the retailer’s largest period of physical expansion since returning to the UK in 2023.

Opening Event At St James Quarter

Hundreds of shoppers queued to be among the first customers inside the Edinburgh store before Sarah Boyd, Managing Director of Sephora UK, officially cut the ribbon.

The opening was followed by a parade through St James Quarter featuring Scottish performers including DJ Lu, drag artist Sally St Scott and the Red Hot Chilli Pipers.

“Scotland has been one of the most requested locations from our community, so opening our first Scottish store is an incredibly exciting milestone for Sephora UK.
“Edinburgh is a city with an amazing beauty community, incredible creativity and visitors from all over the world, making it the perfect place to continue our UK expansion.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming both local customers and visitors into the Sephora experience for the very first time.
“This opening also marks the beginning of a hugely exciting summer for Sephora UK as we continue expanding our footprint across the country with both destination stores and new boutique formats, allowing us to bring prestige beauty to more communities than ever before.”

Sarah Boyd
Managing Director, Sephora UK

“The opening of Sephora’s first-ever Scottish store is a landmark moment for both the brand and St James Quarter.
“It’s exciting to see Sephora mark this significant milestone with a memorable launch event, from the ribbon-cutting ceremony to the performances taking place throughout the day.
“Welcoming such an internationally recognised beauty retailer to the Quarter further strengthens the destination’s appeal and gives visitors the opportunity to experience one of the world’s most sought-after beauty brands right here in Scotland.”

Anne Ledgerwood
Estate Director, St James Quarter

Opening Weekend Programme

Following the official opening on Thursday 9 July 2026, Sephora UK is running a programme of customer activities, entertainment and giveaways throughout the weekend.

The programme includes:

• A tartan-themed photobooth.
• An opportunity for customers to appear on a digital billboard outside the store by sharing queue selfies.
• Brand activities involving Scottish-born skincare brand BYOMA, alongside Inde Wild, Le Monde Gourmand, Kayali, Sephora Collection and others.
• Customer treats provided by Wingstop, OAKBERRY and Edinburgh charity Coffee Saints.

Customers making a purchase between Thursday 9 July and Sunday 12 July 2026, or while stocks last, will receive a Beauty Bonus Card. Each card provides an equal chance to win prizes including goodie bags, Sephora merchandise, complimentary beauty services, products and discounts.

Brand Range And Beauty Technology

The store gives customers in Scotland physical access to several brands available exclusively or selectively through Sephora UK, including rhode, Haus Labs, Makeup By Mario, Merit Beauty, Half Magic, Yepoda and Tower 28.

The range also includes Tatcha, Tarte, Summer Fridays and Kosas.

Sephora’s Beauty Scan technology has also been introduced at the Edinburgh store. The service uses a lens attached to a Beauty Advisor’s phone to analyse hydration and oil levels and support foundation shade matching.

The results are used to provide product recommendations based on the individual customer’s skin requirements.

Customers can also access Sephora UK’s range of redeemable beauty services and the MySephora loyalty programme. The programme provides members with points on purchases, free delivery, early access to launches, rewards and invitations to events through the Sephora UK app.

Further UK Openings

The Edinburgh opening marks the beginning of Sephora UK’s largest period of expansion since its physical return to the UK in 2023.

The retailer will follow the Edinburgh launch with its second Scottish store at Glasgow Silverburn. Its first UK boutique-format stores will also open at Carnaby Street and Old Spitalfields Market later in July.

The programme combines larger destination stores with smaller boutique formats as Sephora UK continues to expand its physical presence across the country.