Barnes & Noble Combines Books & Beauty

Barnes & Noble College, one of the largest contract operators of bookstores on college and university campuses across the country, is expanding its on-campus beauty concept called the The Glossary. Housed as a distinct store within select Barnes & Noble College bookstores, The Glossary is billed a first-of-its-kind, dynamic shopping environment that offers students the opportunity to explore, sample and purchase a wide variety of mass and prestige beauty products on a growing number of college campuses nationwide, according to the purveyor of books.

Piloted at the Barnes & Noble Emory University and Southern Methodist University bookstores, the Glossary has since expanded to the campuses of Tulane University and the College of William & Mary, with plans to open a location in August on the campus of the University of California at Riverside.
 
“We built our reputation as one of the most trusted campus retailers by continuously innovating and creating new merchandising ideas we know our students are looking for,” said Joel Friedman, vice president, CMO, Barnes & Noble College. “We are excited to introduce The Glossary to our college partners, making the brands and products students want easily accessible to them for the first time.”
 
The Glossary features a wide range of products, from prestige brands like Smashbox, Philosophy, Bliss and Lipstick Queen, among others, to traditional mass-market brands including Burt’s Bees, CoverGirl and Maybelline.

“Through in-depth student discussions and focus groups, we recognized a gap in access to beauty solutions on campus and worked with them to help shape The Glossary,” said Lisa Mazzio, Director of Merchandise, fashion trends and beauty, Barnes & Noble College. “Their feedback informed the categories and brands we sell, the look and layout of the stores themselves, and the format that inspires self-discovery rather than in-aisle beauty consultants, which students expressed were less desired.”

Barnes & Noble College selected two key partners to execute the beauty concept: global retail design and build firm RPG to design, brand and manufacture The Glossary, and prestige health and beauty brands distributor EC Scott Group to stock its shelves with product.