Macy’s Inc. is getting in on the luxury beauty boom — specifically in the Miami market.
The retailer is debuting its elevated beauty concept in its Dadeland store, which will include revamped shop designs, virtual try-on technologies, three relaxation rooms and three branded treatment rooms offering a slew of services. Brands including La Mer, Dior and Clarins will be bringing dedicated aestheticians.
The department store is inaugurating the space with a ribbon-cutting event on Saturday.
Participating brands include legacy names La Mer, Jo Malone, Gucci Beauty, Yves Saint Laurent Beauté, Armani Beauty and Valentino Beauty. Sunday Riley is also debuting a new shop, and Kylie Cosmetics will also be entering the Dadeland door.
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“The consumer is resonating with the brands, they love beauty, they love the idea of getting dressed up and having that moment for themselves as well,” said Nicolette Bosco, vice president of beauty, Macy’s. “The new brands are ones we hear from our store colleagues and management that customers are coming in and asking for.”
As reported, beauty was a key brick-and-mortar traffic driver during Black Friday sales. Macy’s will be introducing make-your-own-gift stations and in-store events featuring entertainment, DJs and a renewed focus on beauty services and demonstrations.
“This is when we shine, and we bring our customers the gifting, the creative and retail animation into the beauty world,” Bosco said. “We’re the authority in the category of beauty, in makeup and in holiday.”
“Beauty elevation has been a focus, and the luxury piece specifically,” Bosco continued. “By the end of this year, we will have completed about 39 of these beauty elevation doors out there in key markets.”
On one hand, the diversity of the Miami market is paramount. “There’s a lot of buzz in Miami and this is the right opportunity for us to be bringing this level of beauty and the luxury world to the Miami consumer. They’re multicultural, we’re bringing in consumers from all over the world in this market,” she said, adding that the current brands in store span both legacy and emerging brands and an array of price points. “We appeal across generations and across cultures… they can find what’s going to be right for them, from the perspectives of both price point and value.”
Luxury has been a growing focus for retailers as Gen Z gains purchasing power and the prestige market writ large shows no signs of abatement. According to Circana data, prestige beauty grew 14 percent in the third quarter. At Macy’s specifically, beauty was a top-performing category in the third quarter, according to an investor presentation.
“Consumers are looking for the right item to give them the look they’re trying to achieve,” Bosco said. That holds true for the categories she’s the most bullish on. “Lip is the ‘wow’ moment, it’s a piece that the consumer pulls out of their handbag, and they’re proud of,” she said. “Lips are a fantastic category for us.”
That enthusiasm also extends to fragrance, where Macy’s maintains a stronghold. “Consumers look to us for bringing that feeling that ties back to a fragrance. A lot of that is about luxury and being proud of what they’re wearing, but it’s also the emotional connection that fragrance brings,” she said. “We’re the destination for it because we’re able to bring that emotional piece, offering the breadth of our assortment to the consumer.”
