Glossier founder and CEO, Emily Weiss, has provided a COVID-19 business update, unfortunately making the tough decision to stand down its retail staff members.
Glossier were among the first to close its brick and mortar stores at the beginning of March, and now Weiss says she believes "it will be among the last to reopen."
"The very things that make Glossier retail so special - the crowds, the lines, the experience of being together - are also the reasons why we have an added responsibility to our community," she said. "We’re challenging ourselves to reimagine the offline experience for this moment and beyond, and we’re hard at work finding new ways to inspire joy and bring people together, safely."
"For all these reasons, we unfortunately need to take the step of furloughing our incredible retail teams in New York, Los Angeles and London as of June 1," said Weiss.
The company has been paying its employees' full wages since closing doors on March 13, in the hopes that it would have a better line of sight to reopening stores by now. However, with the timeline for in-store trading so uncertain, staff will be paid until the end of May, with Glossier continuing to cover benefits, including healthcare, through August.
"While this is a painful step, we remain as passionate as ever about the importance of offline experiences in Glossier’s future," said Weiss.
"Since day one, we’ve been a digital-first company, and even in ‘normal’ times, the vast majority of our sales happen online. That doesn’t diminish the role of retail: it elevates it."
"As shopping for beauty online becomes the norm - and this period is certainly accelerating that trend - retail gets to be about so much more than just procurement: it’s about human connection. We’ve always been building for this world, and this moment only deepens our resolve."
Read the full statement here.
