Birchbox to Open N.Y. Store

Birchbox, an online seller of beauty products, is becoming the latest e-tailer to open a physical store.

The New York Times reports that the company will occupy an abandoned two-story space on West Broadway in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. The Times says the store will likely open in May.

According to the owners, Katia Beauchamp and Hayley Barna, this will not be a mere showroom for the company’s online offerings but what they called  “a full-blown shopping and lifestyle experience.”

There will be about 2000 products for sale in the store, representing some 150 to 250 brands), plus a row of vanities for product testing and a “B.Y.O.B.” (build your own Birchbox) section that will let shoppers fill the brand’s pink boxes with samples of their choice for $15. A separate floor will be set aside for classes on topics such as makeup and skin care tricks, and services like hair styling.