The holidays are a time best spent as part of a community. To help encourage close consumer and brand relationships, several beauty companies have invested in pop-up experiences for their loyal customers. From Gisou's golden-themed temporary shop to Amorepacific's K-pop immersive experience, here are the latest retail installations popping up around town:
Lush: Featuring mood-based galleries, massage opportunities, and poetry, Lush showcased an immersive wellness space in London's Westfield White City. The London Lush Lounge held a similar message to the brand's Sleepy Space in Brooklyn, where shoppers could go to escape the chaos of the holiday rush. Lush offered several elements for consumers to immerse themselves in, starting with The Bathe Booth, which allowed attendees to watch products come to life, fizz in water, and create art in bathtubs. In collaboration with The Poetry Pharmacy, Lush offered the poetry lottery, a service that connected visitors with uplifting poems based on cards they chose that aligned with their mood. To champion the idea that self-care does not have to look perfect or glamorous, the Lush Lounge hosted a gallery that presented images of honest, unedited self-care moments as a source of inspiration. Preparing guests for reentry into the chaos of holiday shopping, refresh stations were at hand, stocked with Lush body sprays, hand creams, and toners. At the end of the experience, a gift-wrapping service was offered where customers had an opportunity to color their wrapping paper, which further enhanced the personal feel of the gift.
Gisou: The brand celebrated the festive season through a pop-up attraction in London's Piccadilly Circus. Visitors were greeted by warm-toned welcoming lights that lit up the temporary shop's exterior, which was shaped into a classic Gisou fragrance bottle. Inside, wholesome holiday decor was displayed, with a giant Christmas tree decorated in golden embellishments that complemented gifts wrapped in honey yellow paper stored underneath. Gisou's range of products―including limited-edition offerings such as Christmas sweaters and the first-ever Gisou Advent Calendar―were readily available throughout the shop where almost everything was a gleaming metallic gold. The space stayed true to Gisou's love for honeybees, with nods to the creatures such as floral decoration and honeypot-shaped candles. As a small thank you from the brand, visitors could also have their purchases wrapped free of charge at the checkout. "It was very special having our Gisou community come celebrate our official pop-up opening in the heart of London. We had an amazing time, but that was just the beginning," commented Negin Mirsalehi, founder of Gisou.
Amorepacific: In collaboration with Shopify, Amorepacific hosted a K-pop-themed retail innovation in Soho, New York. To get a glimpse of the space, avid fans queued in lines wrapped around the block during the entire opening. Customers were welcomed by bursts of bright pink and pale yellows, partnered with wall stickers of cute, branded characters. At the entrance, visitors received a treasure map, which they could fill with stickers gathered as a keepsake at the popular event. Dedicated areas for different brands filled the shop, with subsections for Laneige and Innisfree skincare decorated to resemble the NYC subway. Staff were on hand to walk consumers through each subsection of the shop, offering visitors professional consultations for their best skincare routines. In the heart of the space, there was a sizable purple DJ deck, with a DJ playing K-pop tunes. This area resembled the Amorepacific x BTS' Lip Sleeping Mask Set, which is packaged in a similar record-player-themed box. Customers could explore the destination, shop, and relax at a cafe and popcorn stations. The immersive experience also included a photo booth to help create memorable social media sharing experiences and offered 20% off the standard retail price as well as free goody bags for all.
Beekman 1802: Dubbed the Beekman 1802 Kindness Shop, the body care brand hosted its first holiday pop-up shop with a livestreaming twist. Located at the studio of livestream commerce platform Live Rocket, the initiative was livestreamed on the Beekman 1802's website and Facebook. Paying homage to the brands best-selling Goat Milk Soap, customers were welcomed by a large goat mascot as they entered through doors decorated with cartoon goat stickers. The pop-up shop was heavily decorated in sunshine yellow, with products wrapped in bright tissue paper and yellow bows. Bright neon lights lit up the space, and LED baby goats adorned the walls. The livestream event included deals and holiday gift offerings such as blankets and on-brand mugs and was powered by Firework, a video commerce platform. Eight New York-area VIP customers were invited to see the recording of the livestream and interact with co-founders and event hosts Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge. Beekman 1802 stated that livestream sales equate to 39% of their yearly intake, which means the pop-up shop aligned perfectly with its successful retailing methods.
Pleasing: Harry Styles’ gender-neutral brand has opened its doors in pop-up form for the second time in London, alongside spaces in New York and LA. The temporary shops offered the brand's entire collection, including merchandise, nail polish, skincare, and cosmetics, as well as exclusive apparel products for Styles’ devout fans. The locations were decorated festively, featuring vibrant colors and frosting-inspired elements with green and purple wallpaper and imitation fireplaces that created a nostalgic, cozy Christmas atmosphere. The spaces, which were curated in partnership with American Express, featured exaggerated versions of homey Christmas dinners and parties; specific areas were designed to feel like a real home and encourage visitors to get into the holiday spirit.
SKKN by Kim: Providing the first opportunity for consumers to purchase products in a physical environment, SKKN by Kim Kardashian opened a pop-up experience at Westfield Century City in LA. The interactive experience was curated in partnership with Flowcode, a direct-to-consumer company providing QR codes that encouraged shoppers to sign up to the community and receive exclusive benefits such as early access to new launches. The space was designed by Perron-Roettinger, a company that regularly works with Kardashian. The space featured neutral colored shelves and stands that matched the brand's sleek and minimal aesthetic. Stone-like walls and checkout areas were complemented by large posters that featured campaign imagery of the founder, offering consumers a deeper connection with her brand.
Dior: Located in Harrods, The Fabulous World of Dior featured a window installation designed by Italian artist Pietro Ruffo that guided shoppers through 44 festive windows decorating Brompton Road. The window displays featured gingerbread scenery and outfits designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri, alongside drawings of iconic Dior dresses designed by Ruffo and reinterpreted using cutlery. A highlighted window included a white marble fireplace with gifts tucked inside against glitter-gold illustrations.Two pop-ups celebrating Christian Dior’s love for Christmas were also inside the store. A space that paid homage to the La Collection Privée Christian Dior fragrance range was decorated in deep navy and crisp gold presents and illustrations. The history of Dior was also presented through its signature fragrance compositions, including Gris Dior, Oud Ispahan, and Bois d’Argent. The pop-ups will remain in the retail space throughout the holiday season until January 3.
Chanel: Less of a shopping experience, yet still a beauty-based pop-up, Chanel opened an immersive exhibition in Paris to celebrate its fragrances. Named Le Grand Numéro Chanel, the pop-up is located at the Grand Palais Éphémère and was described as a “festive and olfactory whirlwind.” Attendees are able to learn about the heritage and origin of the company’s scents through a sensory journey that combines technology and fragrance and showcases the inspiration behind the brand’s scents. The brand described the experience as “marvelous magic tricks, unexpected discoveries, and highly-anticipated encounters.” The exhibition environment is luxurious, featuring vintage products and elements such as a corded telephone in an alcove with “I love Coco” hand-written on the walls. The exhibition comes after a year of development in partnership with Thomas du Pré de Saint Maur, Head of Global Creative Resources at Chanel, and is housed at the venue from December 15 to January 9.
