BoF Fall Trek - Glossier
Courtesy of Business of Fashion Villanova
Written By: Makena Ruggia
This past month, Business of Fashion at Villanova visited Glossier’s Philadelphia location, and we could not have felt more welcomed by the brand. We were greeted with sparkling cider, sweets, and most notably smiling faces at the end of a shift!
Our experience began with exploring the store. We walked around the sales floor and discovered Glossier’s skin care lines as well as makeup lines. We were all taken aback by how many products went unexplored by the general public. Glossier has so much more to offer than the Boy Brows, Balm Dot Coms, and Cloud Paints we’ve all come to adore.
“Skincare first, makeup second”
Next, we were given a tour around the store. My group began on the sales floor, and store manager Juan Martinez gave us a description of Glossier’s beginnings, from e-commerce to brick-and-mortar locations. Juan ran us through a variety of product which “let the skin shine”. He stated that the placement of items and layout of the store was designed particularly for Philadelphia, and that it was “a love letter to Philadelphia” in the architecture. Each store is unique, and “everything at Glossier is very intentional”. He ran us through the process of shopping, that Editors (or sales associates) help people to find skincare products and makeup which makes them feel beautiful and revived. They even have face wash stations on the sales floor for shoppers to experiment with! He also stated that “community is very important to the Glossier brand… we don’t want anyone to feel pushed aside” so the Philadelphia location adopted dog treat Glossier bags. Very few beauty brands welcome animals in their stores, so this choice makes Glossier and even more unique place to shop.
Next, my group was taken into the back of house to explore how Editors “pick and pack” products for consumers to take home. Customers can come in, pick and “order” their products, and the Editors go in the back, pick the products the customer ordered, then place the products in a bag for the customer. Payment is virtual and simple online with an iPad before “pick and pack” occurs. I bought a lipstick myself, and I was shocked at how streamlined the process was from order to product delivery. The Editor that helped me was talking to me and taking genuine interest in my life which few sales associates have mastered today. It felt like no time had passed from order to pick and pack to delivery.
See below for a short vlog summing up the trip from one of our writers, Arieta Nasto!