Oak Parkers will no longer have to travel to Oak Brook to shop Sephora’s colorful array of cosmetics and beauty products as the village will soon be getting its own location downtown. An official opening date has not yet been confirmed, but it is expected the store will open by the end of the year, according to John Lynch, executive director of the Oak Park Economic Development Corporation.
The beauty retailer will occupy a portion of the former Pier 1 at 1143 Lake St., which has been subdivided since the home décor store’s closure. Sephora will sit next to Oak Park’s Sweetgreen location, which opened in July and also occupies part of the former Pier 1.
It will also be near to the Dom’s Kitchen and Market, which is expected to open in the historic Marshall Field and Company building at 1144 W. Lake St.
Local business officials view the opening of a freestanding Sephora location as evidence of the growth in Oak Park’s retail sector.
“I think it’s a real testament to the growth that downtown Oak Park and the village has seen in retail,” said Shanon Williams, Downtown Oak Park executive director.
The Sephora company operates over 2,700 stores in 35 countries. Williams called it “huge” that such a retail giant is coming to Oak Park.
OPEDC did not court the retailer either. Rather, the multiple high-rise developments attracted Sephora to the village, according to Lynch. Wednesday Journal has reached out to Sephora for comment.
“While we did not recruit Sephora in the traditional sense, we recruited Sephora by adding 2,000 new residents to downtown Oak Park over the last several years,” said Lynch.
Those who have a love of makeup and beauty goods will surely be happy to hear Sephora is opening an Oak Park location. Teenage resident Ellie Loftus told Wednesday Journal she is looking forward to shopping at Sephora due to its vast variety of available cosmetics. Sephora carries 250 different brands, as well as its own private label products.
“I’m excited for the Sephora to come,” she said. “I think it’s just going to be nice having something in Oak Park because I feel like in order to actually get more high-end makeup or a wider range of products, you have to go out to maybe a [different] suburb or to a mall.”
The 17-year-old currently shops for cosmetics in River Forest at Ulta, 7231 Lake St., due to its proximity to Oak Park. Loftus said she will likely become a regular Sephora customer once it opens.
“Honestly, I think I will switch over because I do kind of like Sephora better,” Loftus said. “I think it’ll be great.”
Sephora currently has a location within the Kohl’s department store in North Riverside.
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