Bienvenue, Facconable

Sephora, the innovative French cosmetics retailer that made such a huge splash when it opened its first U.S. retail unit in New York in 1998, will be abandoning its Rockefeller Center location at the end of next month as part of a general cost-cutting strategy. It will replaced in the 21,000-square-foot space by another French import, Faconnable S.A.S. (Nice, France).

“We couldn't be more excited about this move,” said Mark Brashear, president of Faconnable. “Rockefeller Center is one of the most prominent retail destinations in the city.” Facconable's current space in the neighborhood, at Fifth Avenue and 54th Street, is just 10,000 square feet. It offers the company's men's collection, with a small selection of women's pieces. The new boutique will house an expansive men's offering as well as the complete women's and accessories collections.

“We've been looking for a bigger space for some time,” said Brashear, “and we're delighted we'll now be able to offer customers here the complete 'world of Faconnable'under one roof.”

Prior to its opening in 1993, Faconnable was sold in the U.S. exclusively at Nordstrom stores (and Faconnable S.A.S. remains a wholly owned subsidiary of Nordstrom Inc.). Faconnable now has free-standing U.S. boutiques in Beverly Hills, Calif.; Costa Mesa, Calif. (at South Coast Plaza); and Dallas. Another is scheduled to open in Miami at the Village of Merrick Park (Coral Gables, Fla.) on September 27.

Sephora was acquired by LVMH Moet Hennessy in 1997. Following its successful U.S. launch in 1998, with stores in New York and Miami, it has grown to a chain of more than 70 stores nationwide. Its stores became noteworthy for their distinct color lines and unusual open-sell shelving systems. But the retailer has been troubled as of late. Last week, LVMH released an overall disappointing corporate sales report, noting that its retail division, which includes duty free stores as well as the Sephora chain, was hit by a 9 percent drop in sales.