Dive Brief:
- As it plots more store openings, L’Occitane en Provence has opened a revamped boutique on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, the luxury personal care brand announced Monday.
- The 891-square-foot space has a mobile point-of-sale system instead of a conventional cashier counter, allowing shoppers to make purchases throughout the store. The location offers services such as mini-facials, hand massages, skin analysis, complimentary gift wrapping and remote private shopping with a beauty host, the company said.
- The new store is one of five boutiques the company plans to open across Long Island, New York City and New Jersey this fall, per the press release.
Dive Insight:
L’Occitane’s new boutique builds upon the retailer’s previous efforts to create unique experiences for customers.
Earlier this year, the company highlighted its summer fragrances via the L’Occitane Greenhouse, a virtual experience drawing inspiration from the scenery and scents of France’s Provence region. Its new brick-and-mortar location, nestled within the Central Park West Historic District, also emulates the region, with archways, terracotta tiles and other materials commonly found in the Provence region of France, the retailer said.
“We are very excited to expand our presence in New York City through the opening of this boutique, in the heart of such an iconic neighborhood,” Yann Tanini, managing director of L’Occitane North America, said in a statement. “This store offers a distinctive experience, immersing visitors in the essence of L’Occitane’s origins. It encapsulates everything that makes our brand exceptional — the sense of community, the rich heritage of Provence, and the passionate people who bring our products to life.”
L’Occitane’s store expansion comes a few years after a bankruptcy forced it to cull its footprint. In 2021, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and had planned to close 23 of its 166 storefronts. More recently, L’Occitane has weighed whether to go private. In April, the company’s board of directors said L’Occitane had received an offer from chairman Reinold Geiger, who owns about 72% of its shares, to buy the remaining shares for about 34 Hong Kong dollars per share and take the company private.
Also in April, L’Occitane sold its controlling stake in the Australian skin care brand Grown Alchemist for 28 million euros (roughly $30.2 million at the time), a move it made just two years after acquiring the brand in 2022.
