Battle has most definitely commenced — in the world of the beauty halls, that is. You can almost hear the pots of cream smashing as the stores strain to outdo each other with their beauty booty offerings. This is unsurprising, especially when you consider the words of Amanda Scott, head of beauty buying at John Lewis: “Beauty drives footfall, it drives cross-shopping and it continues to be one of our key business priorities.” So no wonder the brand invested in a multimillion-pound makeover of the sector in its flagship Oxford Street store. Revealed in May, the 18,000 sq ft beauty hall is laid out with a “town square” concept, premium brands positioned like houses around a central area focused on fragrance, haircare and nails.
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