Bethany Clough

High-end makeup retailer Sephora is expanding into department stores in Fresno and Clovis

Sephora stores, like this one pictured inside the Clovis Kohl’s store at Sierra Vista Mall, are opening in more and more Kohl’s stores in the Valley. The latest opens in Fresno Wednesday.
Sephora stores, like this one pictured inside the Clovis Kohl’s store at Sierra Vista Mall, are opening in more and more Kohl’s stores in the Valley. The latest opens in Fresno Wednesday. bclough@fresnobee.com

Three new Sephora stores are open inside Kohl’s department stores in the Valley – with more on the way.

The newest opens Wednesday, July 6 at the Kohl’s at 3699 W. Shaw Ave. in Fresno.

The 2,500-square foot stores are inside Kohl’s, but mimic a stand-alone store with a large selection of makeup, fragrances and skin and hair care.

Such Sephora stores are already open inside the north Fresno Kohl’s on Alluvial Avenue. The Kohl’s at Sierra Vista Mall and the Porterville location have them too.

The Visalia Kohl’s is slated to get a Sephora next.

At the Clovis Sephora inside Kohl’s, the No. 1 seller is Rare Beauty, the cosmetics brand by singer and actress Selena Gomez.

The brand has a wide range of shades for various skin tones, with 48 hues of foundation and concealer.

The store also carries NARS, Kiehl’s, and Murad brands. It has its Sephora brand with an “everything under $20 collection,” including $9 lipsticks and $13 eyeliners.

Sephora plans to open inside 600 Kohl’s stores by the end of the year.

What about JCPenney and Sephora?

If Sephora’s store-within-a-store concept sounds familiar, it’s because the company has had one inside JCPenney at Fashion Fair for years.

That Sephora is still open, but its contract with Penney’s is ending this year, a department store spokesperson told The Bee in an email last year.

Penney’s will replace it with JCPenney Beauty this fall, a concept it plans to eventually roll out to more stores nationally. Customers asked for a wider range of prices, and the store plans to offer a mix of products for every age, gender, race, skin tone, hair type and budget.

The mall will still have a Sephora presence, as the other Sephora store remains in the outdoor portion of the mall (along with nearby Ulta Beauty).

Sephora makeup stores are opening inside Kohl’s department stores, like this one featured in a handout photo from Kohl’s.
Sephora makeup stores are opening inside Kohl’s department stores, like this one featured in a handout photo from Kohl’s. Kohl's Special to the Bee
Bethany Clough
The Fresno Bee
Bethany Clough covers restaurants and retail for The Fresno Bee. A reporter for more than 20 years, she now works to answer readers’ questions about business openings, closings and other business news. She has a degree in journalism from Syracuse University and her last name is pronounced Cluff.
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