From cyber to cement, Birchbox opens first store in NYC

NEW YORK — Beauty subscription company Birchbox has announced the opening of its first brick-and-mortar store in Manhattan, which leverages the insights and feedback gathered since the company’s launch in 2010 from its more than 800,000 active subscribers.

“Our goal with Birchbox has always been to make it easy, efficient and fun for people to discover new brands and products fit for their lifestyle,” stated Katia Beauchamp, co-founder and co-CEO of Birchbox. “We have learned so much about how we can drive customers to change their behavior online, and we see an opportunity to extend into offline retail to evolve with our customers' needs.”

The Birchbox store, which opens it doors to shoppers on Friday at 433 West Broadway in New York City, includes:
-- Curated product assortment featuring 2,000 products from 250 brands including Smashbox, Caudalie, Jouer, Supergoop!, Cynthia Rowley, Baxter of California, Lab Series, and Art of Shaving. Testers of every product in the store will be available.
-- A vertical merchandising strategy that allows consumers to shop by category instead of by brand. For example, a shopper could come in looking for a red lipstick and compare different types in the makeup section of the store.
-- A dedicated B.Y.O.B. – Build Your Own Birchbox – section where shoppers can hand-pick five sample size products of their choice for $15.
-- Editorial content, videos and product reviews throughout the shop to help customers learn and self-navigate.
-- A “Try Bar” where customers can experiment with different beauty trends and find the products that are right for them.
-- Beauty services available by appointment (and for walk-ins when available) for hair, nails and makeup.
-- Group classes will be offered on a variety of topics. Classes are designed to appeal to all types of beauty consumers and allow them to sample, try and learn about the products. Classes will be free for Birchbox subscribers and $30 for non-subscribers.

Personalization through technology and content will be at the core of the seamless in-store shopping experience. With touchscreens throughout the store, customers will be able to answer a few questions about themselves to source product recommendations, along with customer reviews and video demonstrations to assist consumers in their product selection.