Target giving beauty business a makeover
RT NATIONWIDE REPORT—Clothes may spearhead fashion, but makeup shows its full potential. Just take a look at the store-within-a-store Sephora boutiques at JCPenney. This fall, however, Penneys will be facing additional competition—Target is expanding its makeup offering to complement the fashion-forward lines that bank on trendy designers.
The Design for All concept is getting a makeover, of sorts, from flourishing makeup artists: Napoleon Perdis, Jemma Kidd and Petra Strand, who are set to expand their prestigious lines into the baskets of everyday Target shoppers. All three lines are set to debut in about 1,400 stores and Target.com by September.
“We’ve been saying for a long time that Target has an opportunity in beauty that they haven’t taken advantage of,” said Morgan Ward, beauty analyst for McMillan Doolittle, a retail consulting firm. “They have the right demographic of consumers who are willing to spend significant amounts of money in the beauty category, and are looking for higher-end products.”
Napoleon Perdis, an Australian-born makeup guru has an 83 SKU NP Set collection that ranges between $12 and $30. Items include a lip primer set, lipstick, concealer pen, and eyeliner, to name a few.
From London, backstage artist, Jemma Kidd, adds to Target Beauty with JK Jemma Kidd by Jemma Kidd. Her 84 SKU color product line and tools aim to deliver “en vogue, but not overly trendy” looks that incorporate catwalk elements in everyday style. The line runs between $16 and $36.
Petra Strand, a Swedish makeup artist, created the third line, Pixi by Petra. Its skin-beneficial ingredients blur the line between skin-care and makeup. The 91 SKUs of color products and tools are marked between $12 and $39.
Instead of the typical aisle all too familiar in retail chains, the new lines will be housed in an 11-foot display that has been filtered to make space for the new brands. Guests will have the option to sample the products from these three brands via self-test units.
Target and JCPenney are not the only retailers dabbling in trend-right beauty and skincare. A Sears store in White Plains, N.Y., is sprucing up its women’s wear department with a small Rimmel London kiosk. “Rimmel might be a good choice for Sears. It is relatively unknown in the states and has the allure of being European, but has a price tag that is accessible to Sears’ customers,” said Ward.
Additionally, personal care line EcoNatura, is said to present a premium body care line, Peter Rabbit Organics, to Kohl’s. Backed by USDA-certified organic standards, the toiletries include shampoo and baby balm for the infant market. The collection is also set to launch on July 22 at Whole Foods Markets.
The beauty market is planting seeds in apparel departments—a smart move, according to Ward. “We rarely see consumers’ expenditures dip in this category and often, even in down-turning economies, consumers will increase their spending in beauty.”