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Space NK has been gathering momentum over the last decade. There are now over 60 stores in the UK, of which nearly 30 are in the glossier parts of London. Recently a handful of boutiques have been opened in the US (see report on the Soho store); it will be interesting to see if the concept can be as successful on the other side of the pond.

The founding principle of Space NK was to offer customers a relaxed, unpressured shopping experience. You don’t get pestered by pushy sales assistants (at most, one polite ‘Can I help you?’, and then you’re left alone.) Their stores offered tissues and cleansers, long before this became standard practice in other cosmetics outlets. They sell a limited range of high-end products, usually the hot new names that are just getting famous in the UK, and they don’t make any attempt to push particular brands or special offers.

There is an oddity about Space NK stores, though, which is that, outside a core cosmetics inventory (Laura Mercier, Eve Lom, By Terry), individual stores can carry items that you don’t find in other stores, or even in the catalogue. Whether this is down to managerial freedom or some kind of stock control philosophy, it does add interest to a Space NK visit…

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