The Sephora in Toronto’s Bloor/Yorkville neighbourhood recently moved to a new, bigger location a block or so east.  I have to admit that I was excited about the move – a bigger spot means more room for products, right?  After all, I’m pretty much a Sephora addict – I’ve been a VIBRouge for at least a couple of years and I would stop in to the (old) Bloor location or Eaton Centre a few times a month, even just to browse.

Sephora’s new location at 77 Bloor Street West

I was, however, a bit disappointed when I went to the new location one day after it opened.  Sure, it’s a bit bigger, but I expected more brands.  I expected it to be like the Eaton Centre in terms of variety, but that’s not what I saw.  The store still didn’t carry brands I thought it would – Stila, for example (I wonder if that has anything to do with an exclusivity contract Shoppers Drug Mart has with the brand).  The store was also a bit difficult to navigate compared to other locations.  Of course, that could be the point – they want clients to lose their way around the store, and, perhaps, discover new products.  That’s the point of Sephora, right?  But sometimes, it can be too much.  What if we just want to replenish a few of our old favourites?

Maybe I’m just being a bit too picky about the store – the old location was a bit on the small side, after all.  However, it doesn’t “feel” like a “full” Sephora without certain brands.  Again, I don’t know if there’s an exclusivity contract with the Yonge-Bloor location of Shoppers for Stila (there’s a Shoppers Drug Mart at the Eaton Centre, but the Sephora store DOES carry the brand), but without the line, Sephora doesn’t feel like…Sephora.

I have to say that I’m not a total hater.  There IS more selection per product for the brands that are already there.  It’s also less crowded than the Eaton Centre.  However, other than that, size and availability, I can’t say that it’s that much of an improvement.