Cosmetics Merchandising Is the Latest College Craze

Cosmetics Merchandising Is the Latest College Craze

Cosmetics merchandising is a booming industry for many retailers.Your favorite beauty products are coming to a college near you.

The field of cosmetics merchandising is rapidly diversifying, and retail giants such as Barnes & Noble are on the forefront of this trend. In May, Barnes & Noble College - a division of Barnes & Noble - announced it would be launching The Glossary, a beauty concept store setting up shop in campus bookstores throughout the U.S. So far, the venture is paying big dividends, which has others in the cosmetics industry following the retailer's lead.

When cosmetic merchandising meets literature

Barnes & Noble decided to open the stores to expand the types of products it offers its consumers, and to become less reliant on book sales, USA Today reported. The bookstore chain's strategy can provide a lesson to other executives looking to grow their customer pool: Retailers that find a way to integrate cosmetic sales into their business might be able to cash in on a consumer base that has steadily increased even in uncertain economic times. The sale of prestige beauty items increased by 7.3 percent from 2015 to reach $16 billion, USA Today explained.

The Glossary presents college students a wide array of beauty products from upscale brands such as Smashbox and Lipstick Queen to mainstream cosmetic companies such as CoverGirl and Maybelline New York, according to Allure magazine.

"Cosmetics is paying big dividends, which has others in the industry paying attention."

"Who would have ever thought about buying beauty products at a bookstore?" Diana Smith, a senior research analyst for the market research firm Mintzel, told Racked. "But it makes sense. It adds convenience and makes popular brand names easily accessible to receptive audiences."

Barnes & Noble executives chose to pilot this venture on college campuses after in-depth demographic research of the cosmetic industry and its consumers, Racked reported. More than 6 in 10 adults aged 18 to 24 bought eight or more beauty products in the past year, according to Smith, who also noted that a convenient location and affordable prices are two key factors that determine where these young shoppers spend their money.

More stores want a piece of the cosmetics pie

Department stores, which are more traditionally known for selling beauty products, are also looking to expand their offerings to get in on the booming cosmetics merchandising industry. J.C. Penney, Target, Kohl's and Macy's are looking to grow their presence in the beauty industry, USA Today reported. Macy's purchased skin care and makeup retailer Bluemercury this past year, and by the end of the fourth quarter, the department store chain will have 22 versions of the shop within its stores, in addition to 24 stand-alone stores, USA Today announced.

"I really do believe makeup now is more popular than ever," Sana Cordeaux, director of strategy and operations for the beauty app Veluxe, told the newspaper.

Right now, The Glossary is in Barnes & Noble bookstores on campuses at Emory University, Southern Methodist University, Tulane University, the College of William & Mary and the University of California-Riverside, Businesswire reported. Barnes & Noble will likely open more of these stores in the coming months due to the success of these first five, USA Today noted.

 

Download the 2024 Outlook Report

As the retail landscape continues to evolve, it’s more important than ever to stay on top of the latest trends and challenges. Download our report today to see how more than 160+ CG executives and field leaders are strategizing for 2024.

Matthew Brogie

Mat Brogie is part of the founding team, and CEO of Repsly, the world's leading solution for high performance retail execution teams. Mat has spent the past 15 years of his career focused on bringing technology enabled business solutions to the consumer goods industry, having implemented solutions for tens of thousands of field reps at companies such as Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Pepperidge Farm and hundreds of others.

Latest Posts

1 Min Read
Infographic: Optimizing In-Store Retail Strategies in 2024

Insights and Studies

Infographic: Optimizing In-Store Retail Strategies in 2024

Luciana Marzilli Lord

In our recently unveiled 2024 Outlook Report, a significant shift in the priorities of CPG and Retail Services leaders has come to light. Notably, a whopping 90% of those with access to budget..

3 Min Read
Enhancing Retail Execution: The Power of Streamlined Data

Merchandising

Enhancing Retail Execution: The Power of Streamlined Data

Luciana Marzilli Lord

In the era of data-driven decision-making, we understand the significant impact that organized data can have on your retail execution strategies. Yet, the pains associated with disorganized and..

3 Min Read
Why are CPGs Doubling Down on Tech Investments This Year? Let’s Get Into It.

Insights and Studies

Why are CPGs Doubling Down on Tech Investments This Year? Let’s Get Into It.

Cait Will

Our team at Repsly is excited to announce the launch of our highly anticipated 2024 Retail Outlook Report. At Repsly, our mission is to help CPG brands thrive in the retail landscape, and our annual..