With beauty store retail sales skyrocketing, and the likes of La Prairie and Tom Ford beauty opening new global flagships, it comes as no surprise that beauty labels are choosing to open stores near competitors for maximum exposure.
However, these beauty store conglomerates are causing entire beauty neighbourhoods to pop up. For example, London’s Convent Garden is brimming with beauty standalone stores and has officially been dubbed the Covent Garden Beauty Quarter. Estate Agent for the area, Beverly Churchill, told WWD that the area has evolved quickly largely thanks to the “variety experiences and exclusives,” and that “the main difference between a beauty hall and a [shopping] quarter is that you get to immerse yourself in the brand’s environment.”
Covent Garden – with 33 stand-alone fragrance and beauty boutiques – is just one of a few notable beauty neighbourhoods filled with specialty stores. New York is home to multiple beauty centric districts, as Nolita houses the likes of Le Labo, Aesop, Natura Brasil, Space NK, Credo and Atelier Cologne; and The West Village boasts tenants such as CAP Beauty, Annick Goutal, Nars, Fresh, The Organic Pharmacy, Rituals, Sisley Paris and Caudalie.
In Paris, the neighbourhood du jour for beauty is Marais – the home of Urban Decay, a Chanel beauty boutique, Penhaligon’s, MAC, Éditions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, Jo Malone London and Make Up For Ever.
The benefits of centralised beauty locations go without saying, as an increase in foot traffic and sales are a given for stores who choose to open near competitors. Churchill denied to disclose exact figures, but she noted that the beauty quarter “performed incredibly well” and that “the volume of customers and accessibility of the price points has meant there’s been greater footfall density across the board.”
