Carrie Mellage
Vice President, Beauty & Wellbeing
Corrine Maier
Project Manager, Beauty & Wellbeing
Two members of our U.S.-based beauty team, Carrie Mellage, Vice President, and Corrine Maier, Project Manager, recently explored the beauty retail landscape of SoHo, gaining firsthand insight into how beauty brands are strategically activating physical retail in one of New York City’s most culturally influential shopping districts.
Within a compact 5–10 block radius, SoHo hosts a highly curated ecosystem of beauty destinations, featuring iconic boutique experiences ranging from perfume havens like Granado to luxury concepts such as Louis Vuitton’s beauty pop-up, alongside specialty and brand-owned retailers including Dyson, Glossier, and The Detox Market. This density creates a dynamic, competitive environment where brands must perform their identity, not just sell product.
While we profiled three of the most interesting beauty retail concepts, including Granado, La Beauté Louis Vuitton, and Dyson, in our Global Beauty Retail Tour, now available for download, below are the key themes that emerged across the SoHo tour:
- Brand DNA in Action: Immersive Retail as Storytelling
Dossier: Transparent Value Meets Clear Messaging
Dossier’s retail setup leaned into transparent product positioning, clearly articulating which iconic fragrances its offerings are inspired by. This approach strengthens trust, turns comparison into conversion, and positions Dossier as both approachable and sophisticated.
Kilian Paris: Sensory Storytelling Through Heritage
Kilian Paris delivered a holistic brand narrative rooted in heritage, craftsmanship, and its connection to Hennessy. Tucked next to Estée Lauder’s sister brand, the space integrates bar-like elements with luxe fragrance presentation, blurring the lines between perfume and lifestyle objects and encouraging consumers to display fragrances like fine spirits.
La Beauté Louis Vuitton: A Case Study in Experiential Luxury
One of the most notable experiences on the tour was La Beauté Louis Vuitton pop-up, a bold, immersive showcase connected to the brand’s main SoHo store. The space isn’t just transactional; it is designed to elevate beauty into a collectible ritual. This approach reinforces Louis Vuitton’s ultra-premium positioning, not just in cosmetics, but as a long-term brand loyalty driver. To unlock La Beauté Louis Vuitton full store profile, download the Global Beauty Retail Tour report.
2. Affordable Luxury: Hand Cream Is Everywhere Right Now
As recently discussed in a previous blog, one of the most standout patterns across beauty store displays was the increased prominence of hand creams. While winter seasonality plays a role, the trend is rooted in consumer behavior:
- Accessible indulgence: Like lipstick in color cosmetics, hand creams act as a lower-entry prestige item, an affordable yet desirable luxury. They are also well-positioned as stocking stuffers or small gifts that still feel indulgent.
- Cross-category uplift: Hand care provides an expanded touchpoint for fragrance brands to increase basket value and broaden reach through gifting and impulse purchases.
The hand cream category’s performance highlights the ongoing opportunity for beauty brands to thoughtfully position everyday luxury offerings that meet both functional and emotional consumer needs.
3. Experiential Retail: The Rise of Fragrance Layering
Another key observation was the evolution of fragrance layering into a more mainstream consumer behavior. Perfume layering now functions as an intuitive exploration ritual, fueled by gift sets and complementary scent pairings. This trend unlocks compelling opportunities:
- Product line expansions designed specifically for layering experiences, encouraging fragrance brands to continue leaning into this behavior
- Educational storytelling at retail that invites deeper consumer engagement
- Upselling pathways through curated kits and ritualized routines
Brands that communicated layering through in-store touchpoints encouraged longer dwell time and inspired repeat purchases.
These SoHo store visits mark the first chapter of our Global Beauty Retail Tour, featuring profiles of Granado, Louis Vuitton Beauty, and Dyson. In the report, we analyze each retailer from product assortment and brand positioning to in-store experience and more, highlighting key opportunities and implications for beauty brands. Download the report to explore the full insights.
