Dive Brief:
- Birchbox, an online subscription beauty service, will launch a beauty shop Friday in a dedicated space at Rent the Runway’s Georgetown store.
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The collaboration of Birchbox and the fashion retailer, which rents out designer clothes at a discount, is geared towards offering local consumers a destination to get a complete look, “from on-trend outfits and accessories to the latest lipsticks and head-turning hairstyles,” Birchbox said in a press statement.
- The Birchbox shop will feature an assortment of full-size products (as opposed to the trial sized items it sells online), makeup services, and online subscriptions for purchase.
Dive Insight:
The move marks the pairing of two new-era retail concepts that began as online merchants. Indeed, pure play e-commerce players, from eyeglass merchant Warby Parker to menswear retailer Bonobos, have been spreading their wings into brick-and-mortar stores.
And Birchbox’s partnership with Rent The Runway marks its latest effort to capitalize on the still-hot subscription service model by dipping a toe into physical stores. Over the summer, the e-tailer tested mini-shops in select Gap stores.
“Birchbox has a large subscriber base in the DC area and our customers want to look their best, but don’t always have time to navigate the latest new products and trends. Together with Rent the Runway, we’re able to offer a one-stop-shop edited with the very best in beauty and fashion,” said Katia Beauchamp, co-founder and CEO of Birchbox, in a statement. “It’s designed to bring delight to discovering new product by having an easy and efficient shopping experience. As we approach 2016, we’ll continue exploring meaningful opportunities to bring Birchbox to life offline.”