Dive Brief:

• Birchbox, a beauty retailer known for its mail subscription service model, opened its one and only brick and mortar store in New York's Soho neighborhood July 11.

• Co-founder Katia Beauchamp says the retailer is using its physical store as a lab to help move more online sales, aside from its $10 per month subscription service.

• The store features iPads with content including reviews, cameras, and heat sensors, and may add wifi analytics.

Dive Insight:

With only one physical store, Birchbox remains essentially an online retailer, so it’s no surprise that the company approaches brick-and-mortar retail with an eye to improve its e-commerce. It’s not clear how much information one store will garner, or how much of that information will lead to changes in Birchbox’s e-commerce approach. But it’s an area to watch, especially for retailers that already have a solid brick-and-mortar presence.