The beauty industry is expanding fast, with global brands flooding the market and competition intensifying. While luxury brands once dominated standalone stores or department spaces, today’s landscape is more open—welcoming smaller, niche brands into multi-brand beauty retailers. This shift has made beauty retail stores more crucial than ever. These spaces must balance showing off their own identity while showcasing diverse products from many brands. With different styles, packaging, and prices all under one roof, it's a complex but exciting challenge.

To get inspiration for an upcoming project, we visited two standout stores in Stockholm—H&M Beauty and Lyko—each with its own distinct approach. Lyko offers a vibrant, playful atmosphere aligned with its slogan, “your beauty playground.” The store pops with hot pink and pastel tones, creating a fun, energetic mood. Despite carrying a wide range of global products, Lyko maintains a clear identity. With generous testing zones and interactive spaces, shopping here feels like a beauty journey.

H&M Beauty keeps things clean and minimal. Using its signature red and soft pinks with white and silver accents, the store feels polished and cohesive. Their focused displays draw attention to each product without overwhelming the space—simple, efficient, and on-brand. Both stores show that in a competitive market, having a strong design point of view is key. Whether playful or minimal, what matters is staying true to your identity while making the product shine. We left with plenty of insight—and inspiration—for what’s next. Stay tuned.