M Macys Inc

By Keiko Morris 

Fast-growing beauty and spa chain Bluemercury Inc. plans to open a Manhattan flagship store in late June, taking about 2,600 square feet at the base of the Hilton hotel on Sixth Avenue, the company said.

"For me, Sixth Avenue is the new Fifth Avenue," said Barry Beck, co-founder and Blue Mercury's chief operating officer.

The upscale beauty chain, which was acquired by Macy's Inc. in 2015, also will open two other Manhattan locations -- one on the corner of East 57th Street and First Avenue and another on the corner of Third Avenue and East 13th Street in the East Village.

While many national chains, including Bluemercury's parent company Macy's, are closing stores, the beauty retailer has plans to open 40 stores this year, clustering them in dense areas.

At Bluemercury's suburban locations, nearly all of its customers live within a 15-minute drive, Mr. Beck said. In New York City, more than half of the company's clients come from a five-block radius.

"It creates this moat of convenience around customers," Mr. Beck said.

Bluemercury's soon-to-open location at 1044 First Ave. and East 57th Street fits with the owners' strategy of providing an amenity for tenants, said Eyal Reggev, president of Stonehenge NYC. Stonehenge and its partners in the building are in the midst of a high-end renovation of the apartment tower.

Bluemercury's sleek glass storefront at the base of the Hilton at 1335 Sixth Ave. will be used as a testing grounds for digital innovations and new retail experiences, Mr. Beck said. The company aims to incorporate more social media into the physical shopping experience, such as soliciting real-time opinions about product selections from their social network.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 30, 2017 14:40 ET (18:40 GMT)

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