Macy's is doubling down on the beauty business this year. On a recent earnings call with analysts, the retailer's executives noted that the brand will be investing more in the category this year.
The retailer is using its learnings from customer behavior online and using that to inform new fixtures and applications in brick-and-mortar. For example, Macy's found that customers liked to shop online for fragrances by scent, but inside stores, the category is arranged by perfume brand. Macy's recently entered a new partnership with Perch Interactive that will include fragrance finders in stores so consumers can browse by scent in person, as they do online. The company is doing something similar with skincare.
In addition, Macy's is exploring new technology like augmented reality to give consumers even more choices. Now, shoppers can try on endless shades of lipstick through the retailer's beauty app.
"There's really nothing harder than trying on layers and layers of red lipstick," says Nata Dvir, exec VP and general business manager of beauty at Macy's, noting that shoppers can narrow down to a few shades by virtually trying them on before testing the colors out in physical stores. "This brings the shade to life by using the technology."
Take a look at the video above as we talk to Dvir about this and more at Shoptalk 2019.