Macy’s acts on its beauty impulse

In an interesting twist, and undoubtedly a clear reflection of the blurring lines within beauty, Macy’s has implemented an open-sell concept of niche beauty brands inside select store locations.


By October 2010, Impulse Beauty had made its way into more than 50 Macy’s stores across the country. An additional 50 Macy’s stores are expected to debut the concept in 2011. Impulse Beauty complements the department store’s traditional beauty counters, and enables customers to shop beauty brands on their own and seek help from beauty advisers if needed.


The 1,000-sq.-ft. space showcases such boutique beauty brands as Bare Escentuals, Philosophy, Stila and Smashbox, many of which previously had not been offered in Macy’s stores. Impulse Beauty also features skin care and hair care products.