Dive Brief:

• Glossier opened its latest flagship, in Los Angeles, on Thursday as it looks to get back into brick-and-mortar retail after having to shutter its footprint last year.
• The location in West Hollywood is just a few blocks away from where the DTC beauty brand had a previous store on Melrose Place, according to details emailed to Retail Dive. 
• It's the second permanent store Glossier has opened this year, after opening in Seattle in August. The brand has plans to open stores in London this winter and New York City in 2022.

Dive Insight:

Glossier is making what it hopes will be a triumphant return to physical retail after the pandemic caused it to shutter its footprint of Instagrammable locations and lay off its retail staff last year. 

With the opening of the Los Angeles store, Glossier has now opened two of three locations it has planned for this year. According to the company, the Seattle flagship is already seeing strong results. In the first two months of operations, 35,000 customers have visited the store, and makeup has been "performing exceptionally well," per the company.

"Customers have been loving the opportunity to test and try shades in person and seek advice" from store associates, the company said via email.

Like Glossier's other locations, Glossier's LA store will reflect the area around it. The front of the store has what the brand describes as "the Glossier version of the Hollywood sign." It also features a "Glossier Globe" with a cascading fountain, amphitheater-style seating and the usual oversized Instagram-friendly props Glossier's stores are known for. This time, that includes 20-foot-tall Glossier Lip Gloss and Cloud Paint sculptures.

The store will feature skincare and makeup rooms with mirrors for customers to try products and, a first for Glossier, an outdoor space that opens in December. Glossier Alley, which is adjacent to the store, will act as "a community hub for locals or tourists to come together and create." A to-go cafe featuring Alfred's full coffee menu is located in that space, alongside pastries from Farmhouse.

"Glossier LA was designed by Glossier's in-house creative team and inspired by classic Hollywood studios. The space is more than just a store, it focuses on providing a creative ecosystem with experiences that celebrate the joy and wonder of beauty discovery and bringing people together to connect and create," the brand said via email. "Just like movie studios, Glossier LA is an environment where stories will come to life, creativity abounds and imagination inspires a sense of connection."

The DTC brand raised $80 million in July this year with an eye on international expansion and eventually "dozens" of new stores.