Tanara Oliveira/News Staff
The West Shore celebrated the arrival of its first Sephora store on Friday (Sept. 15).
The global makeup powerhouse marked its West Shore debut at Millstream Village Shopping Centre, offering a larger space compared to its Victoria location.
The Langford location’s opening drew a crowd, with a line winding around the premises. The event even included an energetic dance performance by store employees.
Jennifer James, regional director, shared that one of the driving factors behind establishing a branch in this region was the strong demand from the local population. “We looked at our online sales to put our next store and we had an increase in the number of people from here who buy the products.”
She added the store’s director lives in the area and is very passionate about the community.
“We forget sometimes the impact we have in the community when we come into them, as a lot of clients only get the experience online, but … our main goal is that they feel more beautiful when they leave. They are coming to us with a purpose, to feel good about themselves, and we are here to make them feel that,” James said.
Langford Mayor Scott Goodmanson highlighted the large line of eager shoppers before the store’s official opening. “The owners were trying for so many years to come here and I would be happy to get a second store as the community is growing.”
Sephora had its beginnings in the heart of Paris when it was first launched back in August 1970. Fast forward to 1993, Dominique Mandonnaud stepped in and acquired the brand. He later merged his own perfume chain with Sephora, uniting the two under the iconic Sephora banner. With more than 80 stores spread across Canada, the brand continues to grow.
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