Los Angeles-based prestige beauty retailer, Beauty Collection, is one of the few family-owned chains to have survived department stores, Ulta and of course, Sephora. And now they’re celebrating the opening of their fourth unit, this time in tony Orange County. After 20 years in the beauty biz, it looks as if the formula to success can be attributed to one simple word: convenience.
“Beauty is a daily need. It’s not an ancillary use. We want someone to be able to just pull up right in front of the store,” said Shawn Tavakoli, owner of Beauty Collection.
And he knows his customer well.
“She’s shopping for her housewares at Sur la Table. She’s going to Bristol Farms for her groceries. That’s how we try to find a location. It’s a point of convenience. And we make it available to her in a convenient way.”
Beauty Collection, which averages about 3,000 square feet, broke the mold for the Orange County store, which measures smaller, at 1,500 square feet, and caters to an upscale demographic in the exclusive retail area of Corona Del Mar Plaza in Newport Beach. It sits adjacent to a Sprinkles ice cream shop. Average sales per square-foot for Beauty Collection is between $700 and $900, depending on location.
“It’s a major tourist destination,” Shawn said of the upscale shopping plaza.
The new store, located at 932 Avocado Avenue, opened in early May and offers extensively trained staff, makeup artists, stylists and aestheticians, makeup tips and spa treatments, as well as facials by Natura Bisse and Caudalie. The brand mix includes Epicuren, MoroccanOil, Frédéric Fekkai, Rahua, Gorgeous Cosmetics, Jane Iredale, Lippmann, Bliss and Doop. “We are the curators of everything beautiful. And we work diligently to have relationships with the brands we’ve partnered with. We merchandise in a first class manner and we do events with education for all the brands.”
The merchandising process is very selective, Shawn explained, adding that items must provide a point of difference to be considered to the mix.
“We want to have brands that are unique, like Goldfaden and Gorgeous Cosmetics, out of Australia. Items must have significant technology that can be a point of difference from what we already sell. Our value proposition is that we create an environment for a woman’s beauty needs.”
And more convenience is on the horizon. Shawn has considered adding services to his LA stores. “We’re looking at partnering with Anastasia and doing a branded brow bar.”