Glossier, the New York-based e-commerce cosmetics startup that’s raised more than $86 million in venture capital funding, is opening a pop-up retail shop in the West Loop this week.
The pop-up, located at 114 N. Aberdeen St., officially opens Thursday, Aug. 23 at Noon and will be open until Oct. 28. Visitors will be able to try and test Glossier’s full product line, which ranges from facial cleansers to fragrances.
Founded in 2014 by Emily Weiss, Glossier has two permanent retail locations in New York and Los Angeles. But to supplement those and give shoppers in other markets the opportunity to shop for their products in person, Glossier opens pop-up shops periodically.
Besides Chicago, Glossier has opened pop-ups in London, Toronto and San Francisco. The idea is to make them welcoming, engaging and most importantly, Instagram-able.
Construction on Chicago's pop-up store, which is in a refurbished fire house, began Aug. 1. It has silver cielings, white floors, and white walls, which are adorned with Glossier imagery. The startup also partnered with Chicago artist Deun Ivory, who created a photo portrait series for the pop-up.
Glossier says Chicago is one of its top five most active markets, one of the reasons it decided to open a pop-up shop here. It chose the West Loop neighborhood specifically because of the neighborhood's "vibrant, diverse and friendly energy."
"We have a really strong core community in Chicago—they love our products, engage with us daily on social media and IntoTheGloss.com, and are excited to meet us offline," said Melanie Masarin, Glossier’s head of retail and offline experience, in a statement to Chicago Inno. "In June, we announced on Instagram that Glossier was coming to Chicago this summer and it was our most liked post to date. That enthusiasm is exactly why we're coming to Chicago—to celebrate our community and the city through an experience inspired by the two."
Take a look at the pop-up below:
