MERIT, the minimalist beauty brand known for its well-edited selection of makeup, skincare, and fragrance essentials, is set to make its UK retail debut exclusively at Sephora UK on March 11, 2025. Following its successful entry into the British market via direct-to-consumer sales in February 2023, this expansion marks the first opportunity for UK customers to experience MERIT products in person.
Since its launch four years ago, MERIT has quickly established itself as a leader in the beauty industry, offering easy-to-use products designed for streamlined beauty routines. This approach has driven rapid growth, with the brand surpassing $100 million in revenue in 2024. In the UK, MERIT has already developed a strong following, doubling its first-year revenue projections and selling one product every 30 seconds on launch day via its direct-to-consumer platform.
With this new partnership, MERIT will now be available at all seven Sephora UK locations, providing British consumers with a hands-on shopping experience. This move strengthens the brand’s brick-and-mortar presence while aligning with Sephora’s commitment to bringing innovative, high-quality beauty brands to its customers.
“Since the inception of the brand, our Sephora relationship has been invaluable. The opportunity to be a part of their best-in-class offerings has provided us with the platform to reach new customers and grow at a rapid pace,” said MERIT CEO Philippe Pinatel. “It feels only natural to grow with Sephora as we grow as a brand, which is why we look forward to expanding upon our partnership in the UK, our second-biggest market.”
Sephora UK Managing Director Sarah Boyd echoed this excitement, stating, “We are delighted to be launching MERIT exclusively at Sephora UK, further emphasizing our commitment to bringing exciting, trailblazing brands to our customers. The modern sensibility of MERIT, with its ‘less is more’ approach, will resonate with our shoppers looking for a streamlined beauty routine while still feeling confident and beautiful.”
MERIT has already seen significant success with its Sephora partnership in North America, where its products have consistently ranked among the bestsellers in the Clean Beauty category. Notably, The Minimalist stick foundation is currently the #1 stick foundation in North America, and the Great Skin Serum is the #1 serum in makeup.
“Our core customer is busy and connected, but also intentional about the products she chooses,” said MERIT Chief Marketing Officer Aila Morin. “We’ve found a deep alignment between the modern British approach to beauty and MERIT’s ethos. We admire Sephora’s focus on community building and look forward to introducing our responsible luxury approach to even more British shoppers.”
MERIT’s collection features fifteen award-winning formulations designed with skin-friendly ingredients such as plant-based squalane, vitamin B5, and antioxidants. The brand recently expanded into fragrance with the launch of Retrospect, which sold through eight months’ worth of inventory in its first month. Committed to high standards, MERIT’s products are vegan, cruelty-free, Clean at Sephora compliant, and free from pore-clogging or skin-irritating ingredients.
From March 11, 2025, MERIT will be available both in-store and online at Sephora UK, marking a major milestone for the brand as it continues its global expansion.
