Dive Brief:

• Coty Inc. this fall will open a Covergirl store in New York City’s Times Square, calling it "an experiential interpretation" of the brand’s new "I am what I make up" marketing campaign, according to a company press release.
• The 10,000 sq. ft. space will feature a "play room" with interactive elements, full-service makeup application, on-the-go services and digital experiences.
• The move entails the first mass legacy beauty brand to launch a flagship store in North America, according to Coty, whose consumer beauty division also includes Max Factor and Rimmel.

Dive Insight:

Until Coty opens the doors to this new location, Covergirl products are found at Ulta and drugstore retailers, making the move a major transition to a new level of retail.

Much is made of department stores ceding market share in recent years as Sephora and Ulta opened stores staffed with beauty experts and providing services like brow waxing and facials. But mass merchants, and the brands they sell, have also taken the brunt of the incursion.

Even big box retailer Target has met the challenge by staffing some stores with beauty advisors, adding tech like Perfect Corp.’s YouCam Makeup augmented reality app in some locations, and introducing private label products and fresh, new brands for a diverse population — not only for women of color but also men. The retailer has developed its own chemical-free fragrance lines, and earlier this month hosted 10 startups in a mini beauty accelerator. 

Not to be outdone any longer, Coty is elevating its Covergirl brand with an concept store that promises to meet the challenge, according to Coty SVP of Covergirl Ukonwa Ojo. The store opening is part of the brand's strategic overhaul to revamp how beauty lovers experience it, the company said. Coty's luxury lines include Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, Hugo Boss, Gucci and Philosophy, and its professional division caters to pros using Wella, Sebastian, OPI and GHD. But the concept store will be dedicated to its best known mass market line, which last year also tied up with retail cult favorite Story.

The effort also includes a new marketing campaign that emphasizes using makeup to express oneself, said Ojo, who was brought in by Coty two years ago to elevate Covergirl. "It is our mission to show up for people wherever they are on their beauty journey and offer them innovation and experiences that inspire them to become whatever version of themselves they want to be in the moment," she said in a statement. "At Covergirl, we believe that makeup is a powerful tool for creativity and self-expression. Opening a concept store will help bring this brand purpose to life in an immersive, elevated and multidimensional way."