Sneak peek at Barnes & Noble's new beauty venture
The Glossary is a store-within-a-store concept that Barnes & Noble College describes as a “dynamic shopping environment that offers students the opportunity to explore, sample and purchase a wide variety of mass and prestige beauty products.”
“We built our reputation as one of the most trusted campus retailers by continuously innovating and creating new merchandising ideas we know our students are looking for,” said Joel Friedman, chief merchandising officer with Barnes & Noble College. “We are excited to introduce The Glossary to our college partners, making the brands and products students want easily accessible to them for the first time.”
Cosmopolitan magazine wrote about the new concept this week, and seemingly described The Glossary as more Ulta than Sephora.
Barnes & Noble College selected two key partners to execute the beauty concept: global retail design and build firm RPG to design, brand and manufacture The Glossary, and prestige health and beauty brands distributor EC Scott Group to stock its shelves with product. The environment showcases a groundbreaking retail shop that is completely distinguished from categories in the bookstore setting. RPG used warm colors and hand-drawn original art to create a unique, approachable presence for The Glossary.
Main drive-aisle spaces and in-store locations position The Glossary for high traffic, while product displays create and encourage in-store experimentation, as opposed to the traditional approach of putting beauty products in a showcase. In order to appeal to a diverse spectrum of college students, The Glossary features a wide range of products, from prestige brands like Smashbox, Philosophy, Bliss and Lipstick Queen, among others, to traditional mass-market brands including Burt’s Bees, CoverGirl and Maybelline.
“Through in-depth student discussions and focus groups, we recognized a gap in access to beauty solutions on campus and worked with them to help shape The Glossary,” said Lisa Mazzio, director of merchandise, fashion trends and beauty, Barnes & Noble College. “Their feedback informed the categories and brands we sell, the look and layout of the stores themselves, and the format that inspires self-discovery rather than in-aisle beauty consultants, which students expressed were less desired.”