EXTRA-ORDINARY: “C’est quoi ce magasin?” — “What is this store?” — an older woman asked a Millennial standing outside The Ordinary’s first pop-up in Paris on Thursday afternoon.
Just four hours after its debut, on the first day of its four-day run, there were at least 60 people waiting patiently on line behind a black fabric barrier, which snaked around the block.
In Paris, there are few boutiques outside of which lines form. Louis Vuitton, Goyard, Stüssy and pastry shop Cédric Grolet are among them. But it is even a rarer phenomenon to see a queue outside of a beauty purveyor.
The shop was created to look like an apartment all in white. It is where visitors can discover the brand’s cult products and its latest skin care. No sales take place on site, but people are being given a gift product as long as supplies last.
The pop-up is currently being touted on huge billboards inside Paris metro stations.
The Ordinary has been a bright spot for its parent company The Estée Lauder Cos., as the group has struggled over the past year on the back of lower demand in China and its home market.
As previously reported, earlier this month Lauder closed the acquisition of Deciem, parent company of The Ordinary and Niod. Lauder first invested in Deciem in 2017, increased its stake to become majority owner in 2021 and recently exercised its option to purchase the remaining interests for an estimated $860 million. The total investment adds up to about $1.7 billion, net of cash.
SOURCE: Women’s Wear Daily
