Condé Nast opens new experiential retail store Allure Store in New York City
Condé Nast has unveiled a new experiential retail store, Allure Store, in New York City, the latest addition to its already extensive D2C offering. The store offers an editorial-led selection of high quality beauty products and is designed to embody the future of retail, by integrating Allure magazine’s trusted voice into a 360-degree shopping experience.
The store sells a curated selection of over 280 makeup, haircare and skincare products from more than 150 brands, which have been handpicked by the brand’s own beauty experts and have been previously featured in Allure. The store provides expertise and innovation by bringing the pages of Allure into a physical retail space.
“We are so excited to open the doors to the Allure Store and welcome people who are already part of our audience and those who may be meeting Allure for the first time,” said Michelle Lee, Allure editor-in-chief. “This space provides an extraordinary opportunity to highlight Allure’s favourite brands, and gives shoppers the chance to experience our editors’ picks, including the Best of Beauty Award winners, all in one place.”
“As consumers begin to return to in-store shopping, innovation is critical for brands to cut through the noise,” said Markus Grindel, managing director, global brand licensing, Condé Nast. “Allure Store is reimagining retail with an entirely new approach to beauty, combining its trusted editorial voice and unparalleled expertise to create a first of its kind, 360-degree immersive shopping experience. The store illustrates how much we can flex our powerful brands by extending Allure’s iconic IP into a physical retail space.”
Allure Store, designed with an immersive, content-driven format, reflects Allure’s content themes including the Best of Beauty Awards, with seasonal product changes. The store also implements a range of tech features for an efficient shopping experience, such as augmented reality capabilities that enable customers to try products virtually, and QR codes that drive customers to multimedia content where they can discover everything they need to know about a product.
Additionally, smart mirrors let users become creators by using the product samples to create looks, which the mirror then captures. Featured brands and Allure’s editorial team will regularly host in-store events, tutorials, and masterclasses. New York-based brand, Still Here NY, has designed custom uniform jumpsuits for Store staff.
The store will serve as a physical extension of the Allure brand, inviting shoppers and the beauty community at large to join its audience of over 25 million readers. As the brand celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2021, it has experienced a five per cent year-over-year increase in traffic and a 13 per cent year-over-year increase in time spent, reflecting consumers’ increasing reliance on insights and product recommendations from beauty experts they trust.
Allure Store is open from 1 July between 11am-7pm daily, at 191 Lafayette Street, New York City. Visit www.allure.shop.
