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Tag: Saks Fifth Avenue

  • Saks Fifth Avenue Unveils New Beauty Floor In New York Flagship

    Saks Fifth Avenue Unveils New Beauty Floor In New York Flagship

    A new beauty hall has opened inside the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship in New York, 40 per cent larger than the space it replaces.

    Perhaps the most surprising feature is that it moves from the ground floor – the typical bastion of beauty halls in department stores all over the world – up one level.

    Taking up 32,000sqft it is home to more than 120 cosmetics, skincare, fragrance and wellness brands, 58 of them new to the venue.

    There are 15 new spa rooms offering services such as facials, massages, manicures, brow services – and even a florist.

    Saks Fifth Avenue says moving the beauty department to the second floor, represents an evolution in the way customers shop and experience beauty.

    “As part of Saks’ overall growth strategy, we continue to look for ways to innovate, create and disrupt,” says Marc Metrick, president, Saks Fifth Avenue. “The bold decision to move beauty to the second floor … enabled us to create the epitome of an experiential beauty floor. We continue to apply the principles of what we call The New Luxury to everything we do. What we’ve done with beauty gives the customer a warmer environment, differentiated from what they can get anywhere else and creates a reason to come to Saks and experience our brand.”

    Tracy Margolies, chief merchant at Saks Fifth Avenue, says the retailer curated the floor to represent the best innovations in beauty and wellness in a truly specialised space. “By offering beauty and wellness workshops and panels, Saks is taking a holistic approach to make our clients feel great both inside and out.”

    Grand Renovation

    The relocation and expansion of the beauty hall represents the latest chapter in what the company is calling the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship’s “Grand Renovation”.

    The space was opened up to create broad sightlines across the floor and modernise traditional finishes that complement the brand’s heritage. Custom agglomerate white stone flooring was imported from Italy and the building’s original windows facing Fifth Avenue, 49th Street, and 50th Street, were restored, allowing natural light to flood into the floor as well as offering north- and south-facing views of the city.

    Highlights of the new beauty hall include:

    • FaceGym, an original non-invasive facial workout, exclusive to Saks and the first shop in the US.
    FaceGym at Saks Fifth Avenue New York, Beauty on 2 (Courtesy of Justin Bridges for Saks Fifth Avenue) (PRNewsfoto/Saks Fifth Avenue)
    • Dedicated spa rooms for Chanel, Cle de Peau Beaute, Dior, Kiehl’s Since 1851, La Mer, La Prairie, Martine de Richeville, Skinney MedSpa and Sisley Paris.
    • Brow and lash styling by Blink Brow Bar London.
    • CoolSculpting and laser hair removal by Skinney MedSpa and manicures and meditation by Sundays.
    • Martine de Richeville’s slimming, deep-tissue massage, Remodelage, – a Saks exclusive and the brand’s first space in the US.
    • Hand-tied floral arrangements by EB Florals, revolving around the composition of the fragrances and their seasonal availability.
    EB Florals at Saks Fifth Avenue New York, Beauty on 2 (Courtesy of Justin Bridges for Saks Fifth Avenue) (PRNewsfoto/Saks Fifth Avenue)

    There are anchor shops from Aesop, Chanel, Christian Louboutin Beaute, Dior, Giorgio Armani, Givenchy, Gucci, Kiehl’s Since 1851, La Mer, La Prairie, Sisley Paris, and Tom Ford.

    Gucci at Saks Fifth Avenue New York, Beauty on 2 (Courtesy of Justin Bridges for Saks Fifth Avenue) (PRNewsfoto/Saks Fifth Avenue)

    Saks New York will host beauty and wellness events in a 850sqft flexible event space, which will also host master classes, public appearances, small private gatherings and visual installations.

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  • Uniqlo Canada takes it slowly

    Uniqlo Canada takes it slowly

    After the Japanese apparel retailer decided to open its first shop in Canada, Uniqlo Canada COO Yasuhiro Hayashi visited Toronto every month for nearly a year.

    During each visit he would spend the week taking notes on what people were wearing.

    “I didn’t expect that everyone was so unique and multicultural,” says Hayashi, who previously helped launch Uniqlo in Singapore and Indonesia. “That was very surprising in a very positive way. We don’t have a specific target customer – that’s our uniqueness. We say we are made for all.”

    Finally, the company is opening its first store in Canada on Friday, a 28,000-sqft (27,989 sqm) space in the Toronto Eaton Centre, between fast-fashion rival H&M and the newly arrived luxury retailer Nordstrom. A second store opening is planned at Yorkdale Shopping Centre in north Toronto on October 20.

    Even with more than 1000 stores worldwide, Hayashi says Uniqlo may not have the same name recognition in Canada as some of its international rivals before they entered the country. It is a challenges that needs to be overcome if it wants to continue expanding in Canada, but Hayashi says there is no rush.

    “We want to be very cautious,” he says. “Of course, I don’t want to give a name, but some other brands have had ambitious plans that didn’t work out. We want to make sure we serve the customers well and fine-tune the merchandise mix as well.”

    US retailer Target last year abruptly announced it was shutting down all its 133 Canadian stores only two years after arriving. Since then, several international retailers such as Muji, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue have taken a slower approach to opening locations in Canada.

    Hayashi says Uniqlo’s Toronto stores will largely be the same as its other locations, with a few nuanced differences for Canadian shoppers. Customers can expect more than usual plaid and flannel shirts. Most sizing will be for a North American fit, but there will also be some smaller sizes to reflect Toronto’s multicultural population.

    Uniqlo will also sell house slippers, commonplace in its stores in Asia.