The Wall Street Journal reports that drugstores are looking to more aggressively attract the same customers who patronize the upscale makeup and beauty counters found in places like Bloomingdale’s and Sephora.
According to the story, “Duane Reade, a New York City-based drugstore chain, is one of several mass-market retailers, including CVS Pharmacy and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., that are glamming up their makeup sections, betting that women are willing to splurge on beauty in the same store where they pick up toilet paper and cotton swabs. The stores are sprucing up displays, adding lights to shelves, creating weeks-long training programs for their ‘beauty advisers’ or offering facials and massages on-site.
“In addition to mass-market brands like Revlon and L'Oréal, they are stocking independent brands like 'Tini Beauty and POP Beauty - makeup which tends to cost more than Maybelline and CoverGirl, but has cool, sophisticated packaging and trendy colors. Lip gloss from 'Tini costs $16.50, compared with CoverGirl's range of $5.99 to $8.99.”
According to the story, “Duane Reade, a New York City-based drugstore chain, is one of several mass-market retailers, including CVS Pharmacy and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., that are glamming up their makeup sections, betting that women are willing to splurge on beauty in the same store where they pick up toilet paper and cotton swabs. The stores are sprucing up displays, adding lights to shelves, creating weeks-long training programs for their ‘beauty advisers’ or offering facials and massages on-site.
“In addition to mass-market brands like Revlon and L'Oréal, they are stocking independent brands like 'Tini Beauty and POP Beauty - makeup which tends to cost more than Maybelline and CoverGirl, but has cool, sophisticated packaging and trendy colors. Lip gloss from 'Tini costs $16.50, compared with CoverGirl's range of $5.99 to $8.99.”
- KC's View:
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If she were around, I’d ask my 15-year-old daughter to comment on this story. Because I have absolutely no expertise in this area, beyond knowing that when I want to get her a present, a Sephora gift card is usually a pretty safe bet. I have no idea if a Walmart, Duane Reade or CVS gift card would carry the same cachet.
