Sephora expands to Israel via Glam42 resale agreement

ISRAEL – Sephora is set to enter Israel for the first time through a limited retail partnership with Glam42, an Israeli retail company specializing in cosmetics and perfumes.

However, the launch will feature only Sephora’s private-label Sephora Collection, without the third-party brands that typically define the retailer’s global assortment.

The pilot is scheduled to begin on August 20, 2026, and will roll out as six standalone Sephora Collection stores alongside five in-store “boutique” corners inside Glam42 locations. 

Initial sites include Azrieli Mall in Tel Aviv, Ayalon Mall in Ramat Gan, and Azrieli Mall Malha in Jerusalem, with three additional mall locations expected to follow. 

However, Sephora has clarified that this is not a franchise rollout and that the global chain has no plans to open Sephora-branded stores in Israel. 

Instead, the arrangement is described as a temporary, one-off resale agreement for a limited selection of Sephora Collection products.

The assortment will focus primarily on Sephora Collection, Sephora’s in-house makeup, skincare, haircare, and beauty tools line. 

Notably absent at launch are the high-profile third-party brands closely associated with Sephora internationally, including Huda Beauty, Rare Beauty, Charlotte Tilbury, and Fenty Beauty. 

The limited scope underscores the complexity of Sephora’s expansion into geopolitically sensitive markets. 

By restricting the assortment to its own brand and framing the deal as a temporary resale agreement, Sephora can test demand while minimizing exposure and avoiding the appearance of a full market entry. 

The Sephora Israel launch also arrives as the retailer continues an aggressive period of international expansion, with more than 3,000 stores globally.

In addition, Sephora has increasingly positioned physical retail as a discovery engine for the brands in its ecosystem, succeeding partly by creating localized versions of a recognizable global formula that brings together prestige brands, emerging labels, exclusives, services, and Sephora Collection within a highly experiential environment.

Israel’s cosmetics market is estimated to reach USD 408.5 million in 2026 and is projected to grow to USD 511.6 million by 2031, representing a compound annual growth rate of 4.6%, according to Mordor Intelligence, with travel exposure, social media, and demand for international luxury products cited as contributors to premiumization within the market.

Glam42 already operates within Israel’s premium beauty market, selling brands including Dior, Armani, Prada, Gucci, Lancôme, Estée Lauder, and Kilian Paris alongside niche fragrance labels, so the addition of Sephora gives the retailer access to one of global beauty’s most recognizable retail identities while giving Sephora local infrastructure and access to a new market.

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