The future of malls has been and is still being hotly debated, as anchor stores, which have historically pulled customers into shopping at malls, have slowly but surely been losing traction with consumers. These anchor stores of course are department stores, which is the slowest growing channel in beauty in 2015, according to our Cosmetics & Toiletries USA report. Iconic staple brands, such as Clinique, Estée Lauder, and Lancôme, which typically drew shoppers to department store counters, have expanded their distribution to retailers like Ulta and Sephora, which are stores resonating with younger consumers. As some of the largest department stores, such as Macy’s, Sears, and JCPenney, continue to close locations, what remains the more overarching question—how will the locations that remain open increase foot traffic and sales?Continue reading→