Anthropologie revamps its beauty line

Anthropologie is growing its beauty division by introducing more products and in-store experiences to meet rising customer interest.

Beauty outperforms other categories

The retailer, recognized for its bohemian-style clothing and home goods, now offers dozens of beauty items spanning skin care, fragrances, and makeup. Its lineup features national brands such as Phlur and L’Occitane, alongside its private-label collection, Maeve.

In the past year, one in six Anthropologie shoppers purchased a beauty product. Hair care has emerged as one of the fastest-growing segments. Holly Thrasher, chief merchandising officer of women’s at the company, noted that beauty sales have remained steady across online and physical stores, frequently outperforming other product categories.

“We haven’t focused on beauty to this extent before, and it has significantly improved the shopping experience for our customers,” Thrasher said. “Beauty has been very consistent for us in both channels all year, and outperforming. There’s a lot more growth that we know we can have.”

Advent calendars attract new shoppers

Anthropologie’s beauty advent calendars have become a key attraction. The brand has sold a 24-day version since 2018 and launched a 12-day option last year. Each calendar, which takes a year to develop, includes a mix of bestsellers and newer products. This year’s selection features Ilia mascara, Drybar dry shampoo, and Mario Badescu facial spray.

The 24-day calendar sells for $98, with a retail value of $301, while the 12-day version is priced at $50, valued at $128. Both were released earlier than in 2023, with AnthroPerks members gaining early access on August 10. The general public could purchase the 24-day version on August 12 and the 12-day version the next day.

Nearly half of advent calendar buyers—47%—had not previously purchased beauty products from the retailer. Another 24% were entirely new to the brand. Twenty-four percent buy the calendar more than once, and 30% purchase two or more calendars. One customer even bought 33 calendars in a single transaction. Thrasher said the calendars usually sell out before November, leading the company to increase inventory this year.

Related: Frida launches care line for older kids

Social media has amplified interest, with creators sharing unboxing videos and daily reviews. One TikTok post last year received nearly 64,000 likes. To build on this momentum, Anthropologie plans to expand paid social marketing this month, targeting potential new customers.

This year’s calendars include six hair-care items, up from two last year, reflecting broader consumer demand. “We aim to offer the best products for our customers,” Thrasher said. “We’ll say, ‘Ok, Phlur, we want your best body mist. We see it’s this — can we do a mini size?’”

In-store beauty experiences expand

Anthropologie is also investing in physical retail to strengthen beauty sales. Last year, it introduced 27 in-store beauty shop-in-shops, where customers can test products like lip gloss and roll-on fragrances. All locations are performing above expectations, according to Thrasher. This August, the company will add 23 more.

The installations are designed to resemble the experience of shopping at a specialty retailer. Anthropologie chose the initial locations based on strong online beauty performance. Near checkout counters, “incubator” displays showcase curated products to encourage impulse buys and assess demand.

“We test small samples to see what customers prefer, then stock more of those items,” Thrasher said. The multi-branded advent calendars are particularly helping to drive engagement and customer acquisition.

The retailer intends to continue expanding its beauty offerings in this area.