Too Faced Restyles Sephora Gondola

Irvine, Calif. -- Too Faced Cosmetics began refining its brand look last summer, seeing changes come to light last month in the form of updated packaging and a remodel of its open-sell gondola for Sephora stores. Both launches were timed with the release of the new fall collection.President Lynda Berkowitz says the main thrust behind the new packaging and the gondola makeover was the company's desire to create more brand harmony."Many of the changes are very subtle -- the consumer may not even notice them -- but they were truly integral in terms of our evolution as a brand," she says of the estimated 20% of product packages that were altered. Packages now feature a bigger and bolder company logo, and some color changes were implemented.Improvements to its open-sell gondola include a "visual box" on the top shelf. It slides from left to right to offer flexibility around touting certain product groupings on that shelf, as opposed to being locked into one place. The graphic is interchangeable for seasonal updates, too. The gondola also features lighter tester panels for more affordable shipping and a satin finish for easier cleaning.Perhaps the best feature, in Berkowitz's mind, is the unit's ability to react to merchandising changes. Stores receive precut dividers that they keep in inventory. When it's time to update the merchandise, it's simple to modify, as opposed to waiting for custom parts to be shipped."It's more affordable and very flexible so that if a company our size needs to respond to a trend by launching a product mid-season or changing and duplicating something, we don't have to rebuild and start from scratch," she says. Metal-strip frames on the front of each shelf also give the unit a more elegant look than the common plastic envelopes used, and they will last longer, representing another cost-savings, she says.One reason for the update is the company's belief that its target has shifted slightly. "The Too Faced girl has matured a bit and I think we have as well. For me, a true point of difference is the artistic, feminine, light-hearted feel that the brand has." Through the evolution, the company wants to keep its loyal 18- to 36-year-old consumers and attract new ones."I think when she stands in front of the new gondola design, she'll feel the artistic lifestyle that is very much a part of our brand," Berkowitz says. Jerrod Blandino, co-founder and creative director, was inspired by European architectural embellishments and flourishes that fit into the design, she adds. "It brings that vintage, fun, timeless elegance to the brand."The new product-centric design will feature the new fall collection called "Get Naked." With launches four times per year -- spring, summer, fall and holiday -- Berkowitz says the company has to stay on top of how its products are performing."We're limited to the space our gondola offers, which forces us to keep a close eye on our best sellers and slow sellers," she says. With the redesign, the company also took the opportunity to categorize and subcategorize its product, and a focus of late has been to look at those categories that are growth opportunities and place product accordingly.Along with taking learnings from the European market -- where the open-sell concept was pioneered -- the company also gained insights from consumers through its website and used Sephora itself as a resource. "They are a great tool in terms of research," Berkowitz says. "They share so much of their customer feedback. Combined with the small group studies we did on our own, that was where we gleaned the most information."Created by Array Marketing, Toronto, the unit was placed in approximately 300 Sephora stores in the U.S. and Canada, and Berkowitz says a smaller version will follow in Sephora shop-in-shops at JCPenney stores, adding another "couple hundred" to the total produced by the end of the summer.The company has also taken pieces of the design and shared them with other retail partners like Ulta and Macy's. "We really need to communicate in each retailer's world," Berkowitz says. "Historically, we've had very unique and different looks within our retailers, and now we'll have several different versions of this same gondola design."

Too Faced Restyles Sephora Gondola

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