LONDON — Family-run department store Fenwick has opened Britain’s largest beauty hall on the outskirts of London at its Newcastle headquarters, which is undergoing a multi-million pound refurbishment.
Fenwick Newcastle Beauty Hall measures 26,000 square feet with two enlarged atriums and 56-foot façade windows overlooking the city’s main shopping thoroughfares. The new space features more than 1,600 square feet of terrazzo flooring and a 50-foot-long fragrance bar.
The beauty hall is the result of a five-year, £40m refurbishment of Fenwick’s Newcastle flagship and brick-and-mortar stores, and was unveiled in 2022, in the store’s 140th anniversary year.
As reported, architect Ben Meiren is working on the exterior of the Newcastle flagship store, adding a new entrance and frontage that provides views into the store. He is working with London architecture firm Sybarite, which handles the interior design.
Tom Ford counter at Fenwick’s new beauty hall in Newcastle.
Hazel Ayers, director of buying and merchandising at Fenwick, said the new hall has been three years in the making and “demonstrates the continued evolution of Fenwick’s in-store customer experience.” he said. We offer unparalleled editorial, innovative new products and brands, and expert beauty services. This evolution can be seen in all eight beauty halls in stores nationwide. ”
The new space features 163 brands, including 38 fragrances. Categories span makeup, skin care, “contemporary and haute couture beauty,” niche and prestige fragrances, hair, nails, eyebrows, and skin care services. Fenwick said it has added 23 new beauty counters in addition to new fragrance editorial concepts.
There are also city-specific brands such as Hourglass, Charlotte Tilbury and Le Labo. Regional exclusives include Chantecaille and Guerlain’s exclusive L’Arles & La Matiere fragrances.
There are also five beauty treatment rooms, and services include brow shaping, eyelash extensions, facials, bespoke wedding fragrance consultations and fragrance bottle engraving.
A view of the new Fenwick Beauty Hall in Newcastle, the UK’s largest outside of London.
Fenwick has been based in Newcastle since 1882 and is one of the oldest founding family businesses still operating in the UK.
Mia Fenwick, brand and marketing director and member of the founding family, describes the Newcastle store as “the heart of our business”. She said the £40m investment would enable Fenwick to “continue to serve the city and future generations”.
Since closing its London Bond Street store in February, Fenwick has increased its focus on its seven regional stores in Newcastle and across England.
As reported, Fenwick sold the Bond Street retail property to Lazari Investments in 2022. The retailer had been trading in bonds for over 130 years.
Fenwick’s flagship store in Newcastle, UK. courtesy image.
The Fenwick family and management said they sold the Bond property to “strengthen our financial position for the future and make significant investments in our stores and online for long-term success.”
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but industry sources said the Bond Street property portfolio was sold for £430m.
