Allure’s experiential retail store on New York City’s Lafayette Street is creating a stir as in-person beauty retail revs up again. Beauty consumers with pent up demand to experience products first hand can check out a curated selection of more than 300 beauty products across makeup, hair care, and skincare. The roster of 150 brands includes SexyHair and STMNT, two professional hair care brands owned by Henkel.
 

Happi checked in with Caleb Foltermann, general manager at Sexy Hair/ Henkel Professional, to find out more about its venture with the magazine’s brick and mortar destination.
 
HAPPI: What are your expectations from this experience at the Allure shop in terms of what it provides to both brands?
Caleb Foltermann: Big SexyHair Spray & Play Volumizing Hairspray has won more Allure awards than any other SexyHair product in the category. We see placement in the Allure Store as the perfect opportunity to showcase our iconic product in the latest venture of a well-known media outlet, giving us even more access and exposure to beauty savvy customers. In regards to our STMNT brand, we are seeing positive growth that is exceeding our expectations, even after having launched the brand during the pandemic. We see the Allure Store as another opportunity to promote brand awareness and provide customers with the opportunity to experience how great the product is firsthand.
 
HAPPI: What makes Big SexyHair Spray & Play Volumizing Hairspray a great product?
Foltermann: As previously mentioned, Big SexyHair Spray & Play Volumizing Hairspray has won more Allure awards than any other SexyHair product in the category, which speaks for itself. It's perfect for all hair types and has some of the strongest claims in the market when it comes to finishing sprays, including up to 120 hours of hold – that's five days!
 
HAPPI: And STMNT’s All-In-One Cleanser—what makes it unique?
Foltermann: STMNT's All-In-One Cleanser is unique because it cleans everything, so it's perfect for people that want to keep things simple in the shower, all while smelling great.
 
HAPPI: Consumers are very aligned with online shopping experiences now from the pandemic shutdowns, but do you see any pent-up demand for in-person experiences now? What do you think the future holds for retail in professional hair care products?
Foltermann: I think people are anxious to get into stores and experiment with products again. We know our beauty savvy customers like to smell the fragrances and test the performance of a product in-store before purchasing. We're confident that as salons and stores continue to fully reopen, we'll see an increase in pro haircare sales over the coming months, especially as people begin to revert back to their pre-pandemic routines.