The consolidation of the retail beauty landscape in the US has left brands with very little choice when it comes to points of distribution that can kick-start a business. For those with funding and a team in place, Ulta vs. Sephora or Target vs. Walmart are the options. For self-funded brands or those looking to test the retail waters, there's Credo, Bluemercury, and a handful of meaningful independent retailers like Jessica Richard's Shen Beauty in Brooklyn.

Uni, the uber-chic body care system founded by former tech founder Alexandra Keating, is taking a different tack. The brand, which launched DTC in February 2022 with $4 million in celebrity seed funding, is making its retail debut with Los Angeles-based upscale grocery chain Erewhon.

Ground zero for LA's wellness set, Erewhon has become a place to see and be seen, known for its cool vibe, celebrity clientele, and fastidiously curated assortment of health food and wellness products. The upscale organic grocery store has expanded to eight locations throughout Los Angeles County and is moving into beauty in a big way.

Maren Giuliano joined the business as Vice President of Health and Wellness in 2021. Giuliano spent almost 19 years at Whole Foods Market, where she helped nurture the beauty focus in her role as Executive Global Director of the Whole Body Department. Erewhon's current beauty category consists of 150 brands.

Refillable body care start-up Uni will join the ranks of Moon Juice, Osea, Salt & Stone, and Agent Nateur. The launch with Erewhon was a collaborative one grounded with the intent of bringing the Uni story to life in a retail environment. The brand's DTC shipping box was the source of inspiration for the development of the POS.

Marc Atlan, Uni's Creative Director, felt the Uni shipper was a customer's first interaction with the brand, providing an opportunity to educate and talk to the consumer. With this in mind, the shipper includes storytelling that shares Uni's brand mandate.

Keating shared, "For Erewhon, we took our shipper and brought it to life with the Uni POS. Uni has a lot to say, we have the ingredient, performance, fragrance, impact, and the refill story."

The brand has invested in branded fixtures for each of the eight Erewhon locations. A beautiful infographic on the fixture explains the refill system, and the merchandising reinforces both the first purchase (dispenser) and the second purchase (refill), so consumers understand the closed-loop concept.

The brand is supporting the launch with a takeover of the Erewhon’s valet program for the month of December, where every customer that uses the service will receive a gift from Uni in their car. There is also a surprise-and-delight program in-store where select customers will receive a complimentary full-size gift set.

The modular refill system reduces single-use plastic by separating the dispenser from the refill for a zero-waste packaging solution. The range includes high-performance and low-impact body wash, shampoo, conditioner, body serum, and hand wash priced from $27 to $36.

The brand is under a year old, but Keating said consumers are "adopting the Uni way with 38% of customers subscribing at the first purchase. That's unheard of and especially with a product a consumer has not used before.”

Uni is making its mark in the crowded beauty landscape with beautifully designed products and carefully crafted storytelling that just might unlock refills. Erewhon provides a platform for the brand to reach an influential consumer base predisposed to adopt refills—speaking to the converted is always the best place to start with concepts like refills that have yet to become mainstream.

Keating said, "I am a huge believer in retail! Uni will be wherever our customer is. We have some strategic launches in the works for 2023. You will start to see Uni popping up not only in retail but also in restaurants, members clubs, hotels etc."