Madewell will branch into beauty

By

Emily Jensen

Published
Oct 9, 2017

Later this month, the clothing retailer will begin selling beauty products from brands such as Herbivore and RMS and a small selection of its own in-house products.

 
Madewell has proved successful even as its parent company J. Crew continues to struggle, and now the label will branch into the lucrative world of beauty. Starting October 23, the brand will stock beauty products at its stores across the United States, followed by an online launch on October 24.
 
The initial launch will include just 40 products, with an emphasis on natural and non-toxic brands. The selection will include sheet masks from Karuna, fragrance from Bon Parfumeur, facial polish from French Girl Organics and RMS Beauty’s popular highlighter.

Madewell will also launch a small range of in-house branded products, including body oil and bath soaks.
 
More mass clothing retailers have begun to expand their ranges to include makeup and skincare products as the beauty sector continues to grow. Forever 21 recently opened a standalone beauty store Riley Rose, while fellow fast fashion retailers H&M and Asos have launched their own makeup brands.
 
In the most recent quarter, Madewell’s sales rose 11 percent while the J. Crew brand saw sales drop 7 percent.