Bluemercury

Last updated
Bluemercury
Company type Subsidiary
Industry Cosmetics
Founded1999;26 years ago (1999), in Washington, D.C.
FoundersBarry J. Beck and Marla Malcolm Beck
Headquarters,
United States
Number of locations
158 [1]  (Q3 2022)
Key people
Maly Bernstein (CEO)
BrandsM-61, Lune+Aster
Parent Macy's, Inc.
Website Official website

Bluemercury is a chain of American beauty stores founded in 1999 by Marla Malcolm Beck and Barry J. Beck in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. The stores sell cosmetics, as well as in-store facials and spa treatments. In addition to selling products from other brands, the company developed its own M-61 skincare line in 2012 and Lune+Aster make-up line in 2015.

Contents

The company was acquired in 2015 by Macy's, Inc., which opened in-store Bluemercury shops in its department stores, as well as expanding the number of free-standing stores.

History

Bluemercury was founded in 1999 as an online shopping website for luxury cosmetics. [2] The co-founders Marla Malcolm (later Marla Malcolm Beck) became CEO and Barry J. Beck became COO. [3] [4] [5] However, luxury brands that Bluemercury courted were unsure whether they wanted to sell their goods on the internet, while consumers were not accustomed to buying cosmetics without trying them first. [6]

The couple found two struggling independent beauty boutiques in Georgetown and Dupont Circle called EFX, which they used to help fill their online orders. They bought and rebranded the stores "Bluemercury," converting them to their developing concept, a neighborhood store offering beauty products, personalized advice and samples. [7]

By 2006, Bluemercury was generating $17 million in annual revenue and operated 12 stores. [8] In June 2006, the Becks sold a stake in the company to the private-equity firm Invus Group. [8] [9]

In July 2021, Maly Bernstein was announced as new CEO effective September 2021. [10]

Macy's acquisition

The Becks sold the company to Macy's, Inc. for $210 million in 2015, while retaining their positions as CEO and COO. [7] [8] Macy's added Bluemercury stores, called "shop-in-shops", inside some of its own department stores; the first, three in California and one in Houston, were launched in 2016. [11] As of October 29, 2022, there are 20 Macy's locations that feature a Bluemercury store-within-store. [12]

Retail stores

Bluemercury stores are designed to be small, drugstore-like shops near residential and business areas. [13] Each store location has a spa and provides other services. [6] The stores' collection of brands includes SkinCeuticals, Nars, Bobbi Brown, and Laura Mercier, among others. [4] [14] [15]

In 2016, the company opened its 100th store, in Savannah, Georgia. At 2,400 square feet, it was their first entry into a larger store-size retail format. [16] In 2017, the company opened a 2,700 square-foot flagship store in Manhattan, its 145th store. [17]

Products

Bluemercury opened its own cosmetics design laboratory, M-61 Laboratories, in 2006. [18] In 2015, the company launched Lune+Aster. The company's cosmetics are not tested on animals; are paraben-free and phthalate-free; and most are vitamin-infused, vegan, and gluten-free. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nordstrom</span> American luxury department store chain

Nordstrom, Inc. is an American luxury department store chain headquartered in Seattle, Washington, and founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin in 1901. The original store operated exclusively as a shoe store, and a second location opened in 1923. The growing chain began selling clothing in 1963, and became the full-line retailer that presently exists by 1971. The company founded its off-price Nordstrom Rack division in 1973, and grew both full-line and off-price divisions throughout the United States in the following years. The full-line division competes with department stores including Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue, while the off-price division competes with retailers including the TJX Companies and Ross Stores. Previous expansions beyond the contiguous United States include Puerto Rico (2015–2020) and Canada (2014–2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macy's, Inc.</span> American department store holding company

Macy's, Inc. is an American holding company of department stores. Upon its establishment in 1929, Federated held ownership of the regional department store chains Abraham & Straus, Lazarus, Filene's, and Shillito's. Bloomingdale's joined Federated Department Stores the next year. Throughout its early history, frequent acquisitions and divestitures saw the company operate a number of nameplates. In 1994, Federated took over Macy's, the old department store chain originally founded in 1858 by American entrepreneur Rowland Hussey Macy. Despite Federated's long history of preserving regional nameplates, its acquisition of the May Department Stores Company in 2005 marked the end of those nameplates. By the following year, both the Macy's and Bloomingdale's brands had replaced them nationwide. Ultimately, Federated itself was renamed Macy's, Inc. in 2007, an acknowledgment of the old store's venerable name; the company bought Bluemercury in 2015 from Berry J. Beck and Marla Malcolm Beck, allowing the company to expand into beauty stores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macy's</span> American department store chain

Macy's is an American department store chain founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It has been a sister brand to the Bloomingdale's department store chain since being acquired by holding company Federated Department Stores in 1994, which renamed itself Macy's, Inc. in 2007. It is the largest department store company by retail sales in the United States as of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JCPenney</span> American department store chain

JCPenney is an American department store chain with 656 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. It is managed as part of the Catalyst Brands portfolio alongside other apparel retailers such as Brooks Brothers and Eddie Bauer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Estée Lauder Companies</span> American multinational cosmetics company

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is an American multinational cosmetics company, a manufacturer and marketer of makeup, skincare, perfume, and hair care products, based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is the second largest cosmetics company in the world after L'Oréal. The company owns a diverse portfolio of brands, including La Mer, Jo Malone London, Clinique and Tom Ford Beauty, among many more, distributed internationally through both digital commerce and retail channels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloomingdale's</span> American luxury department store chain

Bloomingdale's Inc. is an American luxury department store chain founded in 1861 by Joseph Bloomingdale and Lyman Bloomingdale. It was acquired by Federated Department Stores in 1930, which purchased the Macy’s department store chain in 1994, when they became sister brands. Ultimately, Federated itself was renamed Macy’s, Inc. in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lenox Square</span> Shopping mall in Atlanta, Georgia

Lenox Square is a shopping mall in the Buckhead district of Atlanta, Georgia. With 198 tenants and 1,558,678 square feet (144,805.9 m2) of gross leasable area, it is the third-largest mall in Georgia. The mall is currently owned and managed by Simon Property Group, and is considered a sister mall to the adjacent, Simon-owned Phipps Plaza. The mall features Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Neiman Marcus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sephora</span> French cosmetics retailer

Sephora is a French multinational retailer of personal care and beauty products, offering nearly 340 brands alongside its own private label, the Sephora Collection. Its product range includes cosmetics, skincare, fragrance, nail color, beauty tools, body products, and hair care items.

Frederick & Nelson was a department store chain in the northwestern United States, based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1891 as a furniture store, it later expanded to sell other types of merchandise. The company was acquired by Marshall Field & Company in 1929. By 1980, the Frederick & Nelson chain had expanded to 10 stores in two states. The company filed for bankruptcy and went out of business in 1992. Its former Seattle flagship store building is now occupied by the flagship Nordstrom store.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barneys New York</span> Defunct American department store

Barneys New York is an American department store chain founded in 1923 by Barney Pressman. The company operated full-line department stores in the United States from 1923 until 2020. Authentic Brands Group acquired Barneys' intellectual property in 2019, and has licensed the brand to Saks Fifth Avenue for specialty departments within its flagship stores since 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belk</span> American retail chain

Belk, Inc. is an American department store chain founded in 1888 by William Henry Belk in Monroe, North Carolina, with nearly 300 locations in 16 states. Belk stores and Belk.com offer apparel, shoes, accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings, and a wedding registry.

L. S. Ayres and Company was a department store based in Indianapolis, Indiana, and founded in 1872 by Lyman S. Ayres. Over the years its Indianapolis flagship store, which opened in 1905 and was later enlarged, became known for its women's fashions, the Tea Room, holiday events and displays, and the basement budget store. As urban populations shifted to the suburbs, Ayres established branch stores in new shopping centers in several Indiana cities. Ayres also acquired retail subsidiaries in Springfield, Illinois; Fort Wayne, Indiana; and Louisville, Kentucky. Ayr-Way, the Ayres discount store subsidiary, became the first discount store launched by a full-line department store. By the end of the 1960s Ayres had become a diversified merchandising business with retail department stores, a chain of discount stores, specialty clothing stores, a home furnishings showroom, and a real estate holding company. A long-time Ayres slogan, "That Ayres Look", promoted the company as a fashion leader, and by 1972 it had become the oldest continuous retail slogan in the United States.

Lane Crawford (HK) Limited is a retail company founded in 1850 operating specialist department stores selling luxury goods in Hong Kong and Mainland China. It is headquartered in One Island South, Wong Chuk Hang.

Terrence James Lundgren is an American business executive who retired on January 31, 2018, as executive chairman of Macy's, Inc. the parent company of fashion retailers Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Bluemercury. He had served for 14 years as chairman and chief executive officer of Macy's, Inc., becoming the company's executive chairman in 2017. He was named an executive in residence at Columbia Business School in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northshore Mall</span> Shopping mall in Peabody, Massachusetts, United States

The Northshore Mall is a shopping mall in Peabody, Massachusetts. As of 2022, the mall currently features Macy's in two locations, J. C. Penney, and Nordstrom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westfield Valley Fair</span> Shopping mall in California, U.S.

Westfield Valley Fair, commonly known as Valley Fair, is a prominent shopping mall in San Jose, California. Valley Fair is the largest mall, by area, in Northern California and has higher sales revenue than all other malls in California, including the two in Southern California which have larger area than Valley Fair. Valley Fair is the fourteenth largest shopping mall in the United States. It is officially located on Stevens Creek Boulevard in Santa Clara, California, although all of its eastern half and some of its western half is physically located in the city of San Jose. The mall features Macy's, Macy's Men's and Home Store, Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulta Beauty</span> American beauty store chain

Ulta Beauty, Inc., formerly known as Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance Inc. and before 2000 as Ulta3, is an American chain of cosmetic stores headquartered in Bolingbrook, Illinois. Ulta Beauty carries both high- and low-end cosmetics, fragrances, nail products, bath and body products, beauty tools and haircare products. Each location has a beauty salon available to the public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralph Lauren Corporation</span> American fashion company

Ralph Lauren Corporation, the legal name of the Ralph Lauren brand, is an American publicly traded luxury fashion company that was founded in 1967 by American fashion designer Ralph Lauren. Headquartered in New York City, the company produces luxury products. Ralph Lauren is known for marketing and distributing products in four categories: apparel, home, accessories, and fragrances. Known mostly for its flagship brand Polo Ralph Lauren, the company's brands include mid-range, sub-premium, and premium labels up to its highest priced luxury Ralph Lauren Purple Label apparel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coach New York</span> American fashion house

Coach New York, commonly known as Coach, is an American luxury fashion house headquartered in New York City & specialized in handbags, luggage, and accessories, as well as ready-to-wear. Coach licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear and Paris-based Interparfums for fragrances. Stuart Vevers has been the executive creative director since June of 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marla Malcolm Beck</span> American entrepreneur

Marla Malcolm Beck is an American entrepreneur based in the United States. She co-founded the beauty company Bluemercury in Washington, D.C. alongside her husband, Barry J. Beck in 1999. Bluemercury was acquired by Macy's in 2015. Beck retained her position as CEO until 2021.

References

  1. "Store Count and Square Footage". Macy's, Inc. Archived from the original on 2019-03-23. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  2. Decker, Vivienne. "Marla Malcolm Beck Sold Bluemercury To Macy's For $210 Million, Now She's Betting On Vegan Cosmetics". Forbes. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  3. Zumbach, Lauren. "Bluemercury founder taking neighborhood approach to luxury beauty, spa service sales". ChicagoTribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  4. 1 2 Lieber, Chavie (30 March 2015). "How Marla Malcolm Beck Went from One Bluemercury Location to a $210 Million Macy's Deal". Racked.com. Racked. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  5. Dunn, Laura Emily (26 April 2017). "Women in Business Q&A: Marla Beck, CEO, Bluemercury". Huffingtonpost.com. Huffington Post. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  6. 1 2 Wahba, Phil. "How Macy's Is Turning Beauty Store Bluemercury Into Its Secret Weapon". Fortune.com. Fortune. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  7. 1 2 Bhattarai, Abha. "With Macy's acquisition, Georgetown beauty company becomes a beast". The Washington Post. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 Weisul, Kimberly. "How to Sell Your Business--and Keep It Too". Inc.com. Inc Magazine. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  9. Fernandez, Chantal. "Macy's Buys Sephora Competitor Bluemercury". Fashionista.com. Fashionista. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  10. "Macy's, Inc. Names Maly Bernstein CEO Of Bluemercury". www.businesswire.com. 2021-07-21. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  11. Shatzman, Celia. "Bluemercury Founder Barry Beck On His New Flagship, Makeup For Men & Their AI Mirror". Forbes. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  12. "Macy's Inc. Store Count 2022". Archived from the original on 2022-11-19. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  13. Magsaysay, Melissa. "Beauty chain Bluemercury is placing its bets on L.A.'s skin-care-obsessed culture". LA Times. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  14. Wu, Sarah. "5 Tips On Business And Beauty From Bluemercury CEO Marla Malcolm Beck". Forbes. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  15. Volpe, Lynden (13 March 2013). "An Inside Look at Bluemercury with Marla Malcolm Beck". Vanityfair.com. Vanity Fair. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  16. "Bluemercury opens its 100th store on Broughton St". Wtoc.com. WTOC. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  17. Strugatz, Rachel (20 July 2017). "Digital Download: Bluemercury Opens Flagship in New York, Unveils Digital Hub". Wwd.com. WWD. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  18. Hoshikawa, Karina. "How Bluemercury's Marla Malcolm Beck Turned Her Passion For Beauty Into A Multi-Million Dollar Career". Fashionista.com. Fashionista. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  19. Fickenscher, Lisa. "Macy's strikes gold with Bluemercury's growth". Nypost.com. New York Post. Retrieved 19 August 2016.