Sephora moving into Auburn Kohl’s

Sephora at Kohl’s is expected to open June 10 at 105 Mt. Auburn Ave., Auburn. Christopher Wheelock/Sun Journal

Mark your calendars Sephora fans! The beauty boutique is moving from inside JCPenney to Kohl’s with a grand opening of “Sephora at Kohls” set for June 10. Kohl’s is located at 105 Mt. Auburn Ave.; Sephora’s former home was at the Auburn Mall at 550 Center St., so it’s not physically a big move.

Sephora at Kohl’s is expected to open June 10 at 1628 Clark Street Road in Auburn.. Christopher Wheelock/Sun Journal

The new Sephora at Kohl’s will be 2,500 square feet, which is closer to its free-standing retail stores in size. Sephora has entered into an agreement with Kohl’s that will see its new evolution of store in 850 Kohl’s outlets by the end of 2023.

This is not good news for JCPenney, which initially fought the switch in an effort to salvage its 15-plus-year relationship with the beauty chain. Now, JCPenney has embarked on its own in-store and online beauty section that it says will feature more than 170 brands in what it’s calling JCPenney Beauty.

Sephora’s announcement states that Sephora at Kohl’s will offer beauty advisers, testing and discovery zones and a rotating assortment of new, emerging or trending products. Among the products to be offered are Rare Beauty, Charlotte Tilbury, Georgio Armani, Clinique and more. The company said it also plans to add prestige beauty brands Murad, Clarins, Jack Black, Living Proof, Versace and Voluspa.

To add to the confusion, part owners of JCPenney, Simon Property Group, is among the bidders trying to buy Kohls. Stay tuned!

Look who’s hiring now

Footwear giant New Balance is among the companies in our area on the hunt for new employees. The company is looking to hire for all three of its manufacturing facilities in Norway, Norridgewock and Skowhegan. A drive-thru job fair is happening Saturday, June 4, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hiring for all three sites will be held in the parking lot of Elm Plaza on Main St., Waterville.

New Balance tells the Buzz they are looking to fill 35 positions at the Norway facility and 50 plus positions for the Norridgewock and Skowhegan plants.

All the openings are full time, permanent positions and include day shift jobs. Starting pay for production workers begins at $17 an hour in Norway and $16 an hour for the Norridgewock and Skowhegan sites. New Balance offers a benefits package and job growth opportunities.

Candidates are asked to bring resumes and to be prepared for on-site interviews.

Five Guys opening date update

Five Guys at 223 Center St. in Auburn is set to open its doors to customers June 6. Christopher Wheelock/Sun Journal

The Buzz told you after Memorial Day — and now it’s official. Five Guys will open for business at 11 a.m. Monday with a grand opening ceremony set for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday when Auburn’s mayor and other dignitaries will be on hand.

“Five Guys is thrilled to officially open in the Auburn community and provide our guests the option of fresh beef patties, hand cut fries, unlimited free toppings, and genuine hand spun shakes,” franchisees Greg Vasey and Jody Goehring said.

The latest addition to the Auburn food scene will be open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and will employ about 50 people, all hired from the greater Lewiston and Auburn communities.

The Buzz offers quick hits about trending area business happenings. Have a Buzzable tip? Contact business writer Christopher Wheelock at 689-2817 or cwheelock@sunjournal.com