Superdrug celebrates 60 years on British high street with new and expanded stores

20 May 2024 --- UK beauty retailer Superdrug plans to open 25 new stores and extend seven existing stores this year, coinciding with its 60th year on the British high street.

Expansion efforts include already doubling the footprint of its Craigavon store in Northern Ireland to 5,800 sq ft and extending its Lakeside Thurrock store to 7,669 sq ft. It will also unveil its biggest-ever stores at St David’s in Cardiff, Bluewater Shopping Centre and Westfield Stratford City.

Superdrug’s property director, Nigel Duxbury, says: “We’ve changed a lot in the 60 years since the first Superdrug store opened in Putney high-street, but we remain as committed as ever to providing a seamless shopping experience for our customers, offering the very best in accessible health and beauty.”

“This investment into bricks-and-mortar means we can grow our footprint in key locations and highlights our ongoing commitment to high streets and retail shopping destinations, which are an integral part of local communities and the economy.”

“Bigger and better” stores
The retailer says it will create “bigger and better” store formats in “prime” locations. The expansion plans are expected to create 500 jobs across the UK.

One of Superdrug’s first Beauty Studio concept stores, the Cardiff store will move to an 11,3000 sq ft space with a new treatment studio, offering additional makeup services, beauty treatments and piercings. The new store in Westfield Stratford City, opening this summer, will double in size to 9,892 sq ft and will be one of Superdrug’s biggest stores.

Superdrug will also refit 60 stores throughout 2024 to modernize the locations.

“2024 will see some of the largest ever Superdrug stores open their doors, which is something we are really excited about, as these larger retail units give us the space to be able to offer new and exciting services and even more of the latest health and beauty products,” asserts Duxbury.

The store investments are part of the brand’s focus on an online and offline platform strategy to deliver its omnichannel ambitions.

Superdrug changes
Earlier this year, Superdrug froze prices for 5,000 makeup products. Meanwhile, popular makeup brands sold at Superdrug, such as Rimmel, ELF and Maybelline, will cost the same until this summer. As of February, the retailer said it held a 40.5% market share in mass-market cosmetics, its highest market share in ten years. The company also claimed Studio London to be its fastest-growing own-brand range now.

By Sabine Waldeck

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