Dior is betting on brick-and-mortar retail to keep its beauty business going, with the brand launching in New York.
The luxury brand will open its first U.S. retail store in New York’s Soho on Wednesday.
This is the first of a series of store openings over the next year, with stores slated to open in other major markets in Canada as well as California and Florida. The move is part of a broader effort to further strengthen the brand’s relationship with North American consumers.
“Our north star is brand favorability and building Christian Dior Parfums into America’s most desirable and number one premier luxury fashion beauty house. We’ve set some very clear strategic priorities in terms of ensuring that we’re in the best possible position,” said Charlotte Holman-Ross, President of Christian Dior Parfums, North America.
This includes retail. “We are on a journey to transform our retail network and our core retail business. [strategy]”
Holman-Ross said the stores “offer the truest and purest expression of the brand,” and while they exist in other international locations, the New York location is unique given the brand’s history. said it makes sense. “New York was truly the birthplace of Dior in the U.S. market. He opened his first boutique here in 1948,” she said. “New York is not only an important market, it goes back to our DNA and our history.”
This space highlights higher-priced items, including the finest of products across a variety of categories. These include the Rouge Première lipstick range for $530 and the Roll de Vie skincare range starting at $680. In the front window is Dior’s luxury fragrance collection, La Collection Privé, with prices starting at $330.
The Dior Trunk of Dreams Limited Edition Advent Calendar is a seasonal item available in the boutique and retails for $4,400. At the other end of the price spectrum, key products such as Dior Sauvage and Miss Dior fragrances, as well as the TikTok-popular Lip Glow Oil, will also be available.
Part of this move was to leverage synergies between Dior’s fashion and beauty businesses. The new store is located at 109 Green Street, a stone’s throw from the existing men’s and women’s clothing boutiques. Chanel Atelier Beaute Located around the corner from Chanel, the Ordinary, Byredo, Glossier and Aesop are also nearby.
“Dior has always considered itself both a couturier and a perfumer, and the ties between our Maisons are stronger than ever,” said Holman-Ross. Ta. “this [beauty] The boutique is adjacent to our fashion boutique, allowing us to offer our clients the complete world of Dior. ”
As reported, parent company LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton’s perfume and cosmetics rose 3% in the quarter ended September 30, while the conglomerate’s fashion and leather goods division fell 5%.
Other markets such as the Middle East and China have more “advanced and mature” networks of beauty boutiques, with “an increasingly strong boutique footprint across Europe’s major cities,” Holman-Roth said. said. Much of what is learned abroad will be applied in the United States and adapted to American consumers.
“We have developed standards in customer-facing service, providing skincare, makeup and fragrance consulting, and we intend to import the best of those strategies,” Holman-Ross said. spoke. “We know that our American clients are special and our services will be adapted to our Soho clients with flash services such as minor makeovers and luxury perfume consultations. We put our clients at the center of how we deliver our strategy.”
The merchandising strategy will change, initially focusing on the brand’s fragrance business. As reported, Dior Sauvage is the best-selling prestige fragrance in the US market.
“There is a huge emphasis on perfume and haute couture savoir-faire,” she said. “The opening concept centers around the 2024 holiday theme, Dior Ball of Dreams, which pays homage to Christian Dior’s appreciation of the Palace of Versailles.”
