Beauty / news
Laura Geller Returns to Brick-and-Mortar With Nationwide Sephora at Kohl's Launch
Laura Geller is re-entering physical retail with a nationwide launch at Sephora inside Kohl's, bringing its hero products to 854 stores and setting up further expansion in the U.K. and Canada.
The makeup brand's comeback comes seven years after it pulled out of Ulta and eight years after AS Beauty Group acquired it. The new partnership places Laura Geller in Sephora shops within Kohl's departments across the U.S., starting with its Baked Balance-n-Brighten Foundation at $38 and Kabuki Brush at $26.
AS Beauty took control of Laura Geller after the brand's previous parent, Glansaol, filed for bankruptcy in 2018. Since then, the company has repositioned Laura Geller to focus on the 40-plus customer, a shift from its earlier pursuit of a younger demographic.
Joey Shamah, cofounder and CEO of AS Beauty, said Kohl's shoppers align closely with the brand's core audience. "We feel the Kohl's customer is a great overlap with the Laura Geller customer. It's more of a mature woman, a little higher on the age demographic than what's in a regular Sephora."
The launch also supports Laura Geller's international ambitions. The brand will continue its U.K. expansion and is slated to enter Canada later this year.
Shamah noted that the team spent considerable time understanding the Laura Geller customer after acquiring the brand. "We learned that Laura herself, obviously, is a mature woman, and we made the decision to own that demographic," he said, adding that the strategy has guided product development and customer acquisition in recent years.