You may not recognize your local CVS store soon: the pharmacy line is launching
an upscale beauty center to compete with Sephora. The stores will be called 360 and will feature 32 upscale brands, the names of which haven't been revealed.
The first concept store is slated to open by year's end in a major East Coast city, Mike Bloom, CVS' senior vice president of merchandising, told WWD exclusively. Another will open weeks later on the West Coast, he added.
Bloom would not elaborate on the rollout strategy, but sources briefed on the initiative said the initial concept stores are planned for Washington, D.C., and Sacramento, Calif., and long-term plans call for 500 to 1,000 stores, with about 100 slated to open in the next year.
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A glance at the concept's renderings- which call for brushed steel accents, white-tiled floors and a wall of sea-foam-colored, hand-cut glass tile - seems to indicate CVS has invested heavily in paving the way for its move upmarket.
The Beauty 360 units will range between 2,500 and 4,000 square feet in size, and will either be housed in an adjacent store, accessible to CVS shoppers via a breezeway, or a separate store within a CVS store.
CVS may also add manicures and hand massages to the stores. It's a very interesting idea that we're looking forward to checking out.
