The buzz had been building for beauty fans ever since leading French beauty retailer Sephora announced it would be opening its first UK store in Westfield London – and when the time came, they were not disappointed.

The brand marked its new retail home with a packed calendar of launch events – culminating in a VIP event featuring pop superstars the Sugababes – ensuring what was already a hugely-anticipated opening became an unmissable one. The opening morning alone saw more than 5,000 customers queuing from the store entrance – where beauty masterclasses, exclusive discounts and more were available inside – all the way to The Village.

Awareness was heightened by a visual campaign that saw Sephora hit every entrance to the centre, with placements across all Ocean Outdoor screens, plus takeovers of The Village entrance and The Wall, as well as the use of the JCDecaux screens and escalator and balustrade directly outside the new Sephora store.

Key facts

• Opening supported by a strong visual campaign centre-wide

• More than 5,000 customers queuing from the store entrance on opening morning

• Instore event featuring beauty masterclasses, exclusive discounts and celebrity appearances

Results

• The centre saw a +13% boost in footfall versus its average Wednesday

• Sephora overperformed on its predicted sales targets by 300% in the first eight weeks, including five times more than the predicted amount on opening day alone.