CVS to shut upscale Beauty 360 stores, including 23 in California

Drugstore operator CVS Caremark Corp. is planning to close all 25 of its upscale Beauty 360 stores and accompanying website as it looks to expand other cosmetic offerings.

Twenty-three of those shops are located in California, including four Southland stores in Manhattan Beach, Rolling Hills Estates, Yorba Linda and Mission Viejo. All stores will be shuttered by May 19, the company said.

Originally billed as a makeup destination for the “time-starved woman,” Beauty 360 was conceived in 2008 as a high-end shop that carried more prestigious brands than the average CVS drugstore and offered spa-like services such as hand massages and express facials.

But the chain had to compete with more established rivals such as Sephora during the recession. CVS said the company has decided to devote resources to its core drugstore cosmetics business instead.

In 2011, CVS launched Beauty Club, a loyalty program that has already amassed 10 million members, and an exclusive line of hair care and makeup developed with actress Salma Hayek.

“We have learned a great deal about our beauty customer through our experience with Beauty 360 and plan to apply many of these learnings to future enhancements within our beauty department” at CVS stores, Erin Pensa, CVS director of public relations, told the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

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