Sephora Opens First Belgian Store in Brussels on June 25
French beauty retailer Sephora will open its first Belgian store on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at the Docks Bruxsel shopping center in Brussels, marking the end of years of anticipation from Belgian beauty consumers. The arrival introduces dozens of international beauty brands to the Belgian market for the first time, including Rare Beauty, Laneige, Hourglass, and Makeup by Mario, as reported by Het Laatste Nieuws.
A Long-Awaited Arrival
Sephora’s entry into Belgium has been eagerly anticipated for years. Belgian consumers have long been among the most frequent international shoppers at Sephora’s Paris stores, demonstrating strong pent-up demand. According to Benoit Ponte, Country Manager for France and Belgium at Sephora, the delay was intentional. “We could have come earlier, but we wanted to do it right,” Ponte told ELLE.be in March. “That means: the right teams, the right training, the right assortment.”
The company established a Belgian subsidiary in late 2025 and has been training staff in French stores ahead of the launch. Sephora is owned by LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy), the French luxury goods conglomerate, and operates more than 3,400 stores across 35 countries with over 50,000 employees.
Three Stores Planned for 2026
The Docks Bruxsel opening on June 25 is just the beginning. A second Brussels location will follow on July 9 at the City2 shopping center in central Brussels, and a third store is planned for Liège in September 2026. Ponte emphasized that this is only the start of Sephora’s Belgian expansion. “We’re starting with Brussels, but this is just the beginning,” he said. “More openings will follow in the second half of the year, and then we want to accelerate. In the medium term, we want to be present everywhere in Belgium. Flanders is absolutely part of that.”
Sephora plans to open approximately ten stores in French-speaking Belgium before expanding into Flanders, likely in 2027 or later.
New Brands Arriving in Belgium
The most significant impact of Sephora’s arrival is the introduction of brands that have never been available in Belgian physical retail. These include:
- Makeup by Mario — the makeup line of Kim Kardashian’s longtime artist Mario Dedivanovic
- Rare Beauty — Selena Gomez’s brand (fragrances confirmed for launch; makeup pending)
- Hourglass — premium cosmetics renowned for its Ambient Lighting Powders
- Laneige — the Korean beauty brand famous for its viral Lip Sleeping Mask
- Kosas — California-based hybrid makeup-skincare brand
- Summer Fridays — viral skincare brand
- One/Size — Patrick Starrr’s makeup line
- Rhode — Hailey Bieber’s brand, arriving in September 2026
- Gisou — haircare by influencer Negin Mirsalehi
- Byoma, Yepoda, The Ordinary, Ilia, and Medicube — completing a diverse range from budget-friendly to premium
Sophie Vereycken, beauty journalist at Het Laatste Nieuws, summed it up simply: “You’ll find the best that the beauty world has to offer.”
A Different Kind of Beauty Retail
Sephora differentiates itself from established Belgian chains like ICI Paris XL and Douglas through its experiential retail concept. The chain pioneered the self-service beauty model, allowing customers to browse and test products freely. The Belgian stores will feature dedicated K-beauty zones, “Next Big Thing” corners for emerging niche brands, and “Hot on Social” displays showcasing viral products.
In a European first, Sephora’s Belgian stores will present all perfumes together without gender-based separation. The stores will also offer a “Beauty Scan” skin analysis service and product engraving.
Competitive Landscape
Sephora’s entry represents the most significant disruption to Belgium’s beauty retail market in decades. The chain’s global community of more than 74 million beauty fans, combined with its exclusive brand portfolio and experiential shopping model, poses a direct challenge to established players. The timing is notable — German chain Douglas recently revised its 2026 forecasts downward, suggesting vulnerability in the market.
What’s Next
With the first store opening in less than a week, attention now turns to how Belgian consumers will respond and how competitors will react. Key questions remain: whether Sephora will launch a Belgian e-commerce site, when exactly the first Flanders store will open, and whether Rare Beauty’s full makeup line will follow the fragrances. For now, Belgian beauty enthusiasts need only cross Brussels rather than the French border to experience one of the world’s most influential beauty retailers.