The Big Bold Entrance from Aroma-Zone into UK with a Two-Floor Westfield Debut

London’s beauty retail rarely sees a first-time entrant stake such a confident claim. Aroma-Zone has opened a two-storey flagship at Westfield White City, designed to showcase an expert-led, affordable, and inclusive model that has reshaped the French market. We sat down with CEO Sabrina Herlory Rouget on the night of the grand opening to explore why London, why now, and how the brand plans to translate its community-driven success across the Channel.

When we first walked the store, the scale felt like a statement. For a debut UK site you have taken two floors in one of London’s busiest centres. Can you talk us through the decision to launch at this size, in this location, and what you want that to signal about Aroma-Zone to a London audience?

Sabrina Herlory Rouget: We needed a space that shows Aroma-Zone is not just another brand. Our purpose is to help people care for health, beauty and well-being across every age, tone, hair type and budget. Most products are under £10 and almost the entire range sits between £0 and £20, so it is accessible and universal. The upstairs level lets us do what makes us different in France: expert talks, workshops and real education, so people can choose what works for them and understand why.

Westfield White City is a competitive arena, with strong footfall and high expectations. How did the conversation with Westfield begin, and what convinced you this particular site, at this moment, was the right platform for introducing the brand to the UK?

Westfield approached us after seeing what happened in France and suggested this specific site. It felt right. We were not racing to international expansion because France was booming and we were scaling production fivefold, but a concrete opportunity in London is not something you ignore. I am proud of the team that made it possible.

London’s strength is its breadth. You meet a huge range of skin tones, hair types, routines and budgets in a single day. How does your model translate into that reality, and what makes you confident that this city is the right fit for your inclusive positioning?

Yes. London is for everyone, and so is our brand. We have designed the offer to be inclusive on tone, texture, hair type and budget. The store format helps us show that clearly.

Your pricing is striking in today’s market. Readers will wonder how you hold those price points without cutting corners. Can you open the hood on your formula standards and the supply choices that allow you to keep quality high and prices low?

We are strict on safety and efficacy, very demanding on preservatives and on what goes into the bottle. Around 70 percent of finished products are certified organic. We buy directly from growers and makers of actives, cut intermediaries, reduce outer packaging for ecological and cost reasons, and we do very little advertising. The saving goes back into the product, not around it. That is how we can keep prices low and quality high.

Retention is the truest test of value. What are you seeing once people try the brand, and what do you think sits behind that behaviour?

Product performance and word of mouth. Our retention is about 60 percent. When people try the products, they tend to stay and they recommend us to friends.

France has been your proving ground, and the curve has been steep. What were the key shifts that unlocked that growth, and what lessons are you carrying into the UK?

Momentum. We added about 1.5 million new customers last year and are tracking towards roughly 4.5 to 5 million in 2025 in France. We were named the second most loved brand in France after Decathlon, and the most loved e-commerce site ahead of Amazon in the FEVAD survey. That recognition reflects trust and value for money.

You joined in 2021, just after a change in ownership, with experience from L’Occitane and MAC. What did you see in Aroma-Zone that made you say yes, and how has that informed the way you have evolved the brand?

I believed it could become a defining brand of my generation. L’Occitane taught me the power of natural ingredients and omnichannel retail. MAC showed me the strength of community and social connection. With Aroma-Zone I could see a way to go beyond our roots in essential oils and raw materials into a full dermo-cosmetic, hair care and supplements offer. When I first considered joining Aroma-Zone it was because I could see all the potential of the brand, I could recognise that it would take over France, and I knew that it had to be unique and we couldn’t replicate what had been done by brands before - Aroma-Zone had to forge its own path.

Consumers can spot copycat formulas a mile off. How did you decide where to take the range while staying true to your DNA and avoiding a me-too path?

By listening. Because we are direct to consumer we have rich feedback. For about eighteen months I read around 4,000 verbatims a week across the site, social and customer service. Understanding what people felt was unique about us helped shape the range and avoid look-alike formulas.

The upstairs education space feels central to your concept. What will Londoners find there over the next few months, and how do you want them to feel after spending time with your experts?

Regular talks with pharmacists and dermo-cosmetic experts, hands-on workshops, and deeper guidance on actives and routines. It is about helping people feel confident about what they use. The whole point is quality that works, explained clearly, at a price people can afford.

Before we let you go, what is on your own shelf right now, and why?

Hyaluronic acid is my constant. I am also obsessed with our new face cream that combines hyaluronic and polyglutamic acids for hydration and a plump feel. It launched in France and is due in the UK shortly. And every morning I add two spoons of marine collagen to my matcha. It is my can’t-live-without ritual.