Allure Officially Opens First Retail Store in New York City
The Allure store is finally here.
The beauty magazine opens the doors to its first physical retail store on Lafayette Street in New York City on Thursday. The shop will offer a curated selection of more than 270 makeup, hair care and skin care products picked out by the editorial staff at Allure, which celebrated its 30th anniversary earlier this year.
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The Allure store, which operates as a partnership between Condé Nast and the St?ur Group, will also offer special technology to assist customers through their shopping experience. Features include augmented reality capabilities allowing customers to try products virtually, QR codes that customers can scan to discover more information regarding a product and smart mirrors.
“This space provides an extraordinary opportunity to highlight Allure’s favorite brands, and gives shoppers the chance to experience our editors’ picks, including the Best of Beauty Award winners, all in one place,” said Michelle Lee, Allure editor in chief, in a statement.
Sonny Gindi, creative director and cofounder of the St?ur Group, a company that specializes in turning online feeds into physical retail, told WWD one of the biggest drivers behind their collaboration with Allure is the brand’s success in modern online shopping.
Allure Store/Architect of Record KTISMA Studio
Allure Store/Architect of Record KTISMA Studio
Allure Store/Architect of Record KTISMA Studio
“Social media works so well when it comes to conversion, and the answer is content and influencers. So the question we faced was, how do we take what e-commerce and social do so well and apply it to retail?” Gindi told WWD. “We did that by teaming up with the biggest influencer in the industry, and that’s Allure magazine. When it comes to beauty and skincare, they’re the number one influencer.”
“Allure Store is reimagining retail with an entirely new approach to beauty, combining its trusted editorial voice and unparalleled expertise to create a first of its kind, 360-degree immersive shopping experience,” Markus Grindel, managing director of global brand licensing at Condé Nast, said in a statement.
This summer, there will be live events with featured brands and Allure’s editorial team will regularly host in-store events, tutorials and masterclasses. Still Here NY, a New York-based brand, has designed custom uniform jumpsuits for the store’s employees.
The store’s opening comes days after Lee announced on her Instagram profile that she is leaving the brand after close to six years and will be joining Netflix’s marketing team as vice president of editorial and publishing where she’ll be working closely with its chief marketing officer Bozoma Saint John.
Lee will begin her new role at the end of July and will relocate from New York to Los Angeles, where Netflix is headquartered. Condé Nast has yet to reveal her successor.
The Allure store is now open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day and is located at 191 Lafayette Street in New York City.
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Michelle Lee Exits Allure, Heads to Netflix
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