Dive Brief:
- In a move that brings the beauty retailer closer to its sister companies, Bluemercury is moving its headquarters from Bethesda, Maryland, to New York City, the beauty company announced Thursday. It has been located in the Washington D.C. area since its founding in 1999.
- The company will move to the JACX building in Long Island City, Queens, reducing costs and putting the beauty company closer to the rest of the Macy’s organization. Bloomingdale’s also occupies a space in that building.
- The move positions Bluemercury closer to its highest concentration of stores, and gives it access to talent in the region. The beauty retailer has a growing employee population in New York City, according to the release.
Dive Insight:
Bluemercury’s headquarters change is meant to support its growth, according to the release. It will also place the company at “the epicenter of beauty,” Bluemercury CEO Maly Bernstein said.
“Many of our partner brands are based in New York, including much of our Macy’s, Inc. family, enabling even stronger collaboration with partners and within our portfolio to realize greater efficiencies and outcomes,” Bernstein said in a statement. “As we look towards the future of our brand and business, including our fleet and our team, this transition will help us unlock our next chapter of growth.”
Bernstein joined Bluemercury as CEO almost two years ago, after co-founder Marla Beck exited the company. Bernstein stepped into the role after serving as vice president of e-commerce at CVS Health.
The beauty company has become a key part of Macy’s growth strategy under its luxury pillar, Tony Spring, president and CEO-elect of Macy’s, Inc., said in a statement. Bluemercury achieved record sales volume last year, and was a bright spot in Macy’s most recent quarter. The department store reported a 6.8% decline in net sales across its banners in Q1. Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s comps dropped 7.9% and 4.3%, respectively, while Bluemercury’s comps rose 4.3%.
During the Q1 earnings call, Macy’s CEO Jeff Gennette attributed Bluemercury’s sales growth to strength in its skin care and color categories. Gennette also noted that Bluemercury’s active customer count saw a 9% bump compared to last year.
