Sephora Opens Second Times Square Area Store in New York City
Sephora has opened
a new store in New York City at 5 Times Square. There is another Sephora nearby at 1500 Broadway, but this store is markedly different. The new store
will showcase Sephora brands and will be a testing ground for new ideas for the cosmetics and beauty retailer. WWD got a sneak peek of the store before it opened.
"This was a recession-related opportunity that gave us the opportunity to shake things up a bit," David Suliteanu, president and chief executive officer of Sephora, said during a Wednesday walkthrough of the space.
"There's plenty of business in Times Square for two stores, and we made a conscious decision to take our most current thinking and concepts and test them here," he said. "It's a blend of our DNA and the part show, part spectacle of Times Square itself."
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"Amping up our consultation services is a big priority in this store," said Sharon Rothstein, senior vice president of marketing, noting that an additional Sephora Beauty Studio outpost is at the back of the store and focuses on skin care. Nearby, a travel beauty bar sells Sephora-branded, TSA size-approved clear pouches, along with pint-sized moisturizers, Evian spritzers and cosmetics which are within carry-on liquid limits.
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Along the right wall, oversize, colorful signage — "We're using a lot more color here than we have in other stores," noted Suliteanu — shows off the Sephora by OPI nail color collection, which includes a $9 shade called 212-SEPHORA that is only available at 5 Times Square; Sephora’s complete brush line (complete with detailed instructions and uses on a large wall display) and a fragrance wall which groups scents by designer, rather than gender. A circular, lighted fragrance tester unit, which changes hues continually, offers a chance to give said scents a whirl.
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Close by, brands exclusive to the 5 Times Square store — including home airbrushing brand Temptu, color cosmetics brands By Lauren Luke and Illamasqua and curly hair line Ouidad — are highlighted, as is another 5 Times Square exclusive: Make Up For Ever's Gotham lashes, black crystal-encrusted false eyelashes, which will retail for $15 per set. A tool bar, complete with electricity, allows customers to test everything from hairdryers to electric skin brushes. Some best-selling brands, such as Philosophy, have been given generous — or, as Suliteanu puts it, a "distorted" — brand presence, where large fixtured units hold the line's soup-to-nuts offering.
If you're in New York it's definitely worth checking out. The new store is located on 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues, next to a subway entrance.
