“I always was an indie brand junkie, and indie brands were really hard to find,” she told Beauty Independent in 2018. “We also were one of the first major open-sell retailers in the country and that was compelling for our clients.”

Purchased by Macy’s for $210 million in 2015, Bluemercury now operates 178 stores across the United States, including shop-in-shop installations within Macy’s. It stocks over 180 luxury brands such Chantecaille, La Mer, Oribe, SkinCeuticals, Tom Ford, NARS, Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier, Kjaer Weis, Moroccanoil and The Nue Co. Facial, waxing and brow services are offered at most locations.

We spoke with Tracy Kline, head of merchandising, spa and supply chain at Bluemercury, and Shelby Olsen, head of client and business development for Beauty Independent parent company Indie Beauty Media Group, about what it takes to break into Bluemercury’s selection. Below, find out about the criteria the retailer uses to vet brands, and the specifics brands should spotlight to be relevant to its buyers.

On Bluemercury’s team, the merchandising function is organized into two divisions: merchants or buyers/category owners and merchandise strategy. Kline explains that the retailer’s merchandise strategy arm is focused on brand launch strategy, supporting brands’ growth, analytics and the ladder back to overall company strategy and purpose. The buyer arm is structured by category and is responsible for the brand portfolio and brand relationships, recruitment and evolution.

Buyers at Bluemercury evaluate potential brand partners based on five key attributes: differentiation, efficacy, positioning, distribution and readiness. To stand out to the buyers in a packed market, brands have to be incredibly distinct. Their distinction can be through a proprietary formulation, underserved target audience or unique positioning. Ideal brand partners can easily show buyers how they will add value to the retailer’s assortment.

Pretty packaging and fun marketing will only get a brand so far. Bluemercury zeroes in on product efficacy and gravitates to brands that are science-backed and substantiate their product claims with clinical trials and before-and-after photos that persuasively depict results.

With products that retail for upwards of $400, Bluemercury concentrates on brands with luxury positioning, which extends beyond price. From branding and packaging to product textures and scents, brands must feel luxe and cater to an educated consumer well-versed in beauty trends and innovations who seeks effective products in a high-touch service environment.

Bluemercury buyers factor in a brand’s distribution strategy when deciding whether to bring it into its assortment. Brands carried in big-box stores and drugstores like CVS and Target, for example, usually aren’t considered because those retailers are perceived to be value-driven. Conversely, brands carried in other prestige specialty retailers like Space NK or department stores like Bloomingdale’s and Saks Fifth Avenue are deemed compatible with Bluemercury’s premium proposition.

Brands should exhibit operational readiness to be selected to work with Bluemercury. Being EDI (electronic data interchange) compliant and having the ability to market products, educate store staff and provide testers are must-haves, according to Kline. She adds that free products, samples and field team support are nice, but not essential. Having a contract manufacturer isn’t a necessity, and brands that produce merchandise in-house are considered by the Bluemercury buying team.

Organic skincare and makeup brand Ogee launched at Bluemercury in early 2023. Buyers were drawn to the brand’s effective and differentiated product selection, luxury positioning and primarily direct-to-consumer distribution that didn’t conflict with Bluemercury’s prestige orientation. Additionally, Ogee had a proven track record of robust sales and an engaged social media following. Those brand elements indicated to buyers that Ogee was retail-ready and poised to succeed at Bluemercury.

Bestselling skincare brands at Bluemercury include M-61, SkinCeuticals, Augustinus Bader, Dr. Barbara Sturm, Vintner’s Daughter, OSEA and U Beauty. In makeup, Ogee, Chantecaille, Trish McEvoy, Sisley and Lune+Aster are currently seeing traction. Bluemercury customers are snapping up haircare brands Oribe, R&Co, Virtue and Dyson and fragrance brands D.S. & Durga, House of Bō, Diptyque, Tom Ford and Jo Malone.

Previously more unstructured, Bluemercury is moving toward a stricter curation cycle when it comes to new brands. Kline says the move is to ensure more thoughtful onboarding.

Bluemercury introduced an emerging beauty brand program called The Cache in October 2022. Brands selected for its assortment gain distribution online and in 22 Bluemercury stores. Three to six brands are added to the assortment every three to four months. Previous brands in The Cache’s assortment include Plantkos, U Beauty, Dune, Tronque, Humanrace Irene Forte, House of Bō and Le Domaine Skincare.

“We consider ourselves to be a best-in-class brand curator,” said Stephanie Keene, managing director of merchandising at Bluemercury in an interview last year with Beauty Independent. “We’ve partnered with smaller brands before to bring them to market like with BalmLabs, Esker and Solawave. The Cache is a dedicated space where we could formalize this for customers and introduce them to new, highly coveted brands.”

Bluemercury assesses brands for The Cache based on distribution strategy, product efficacy and packaging. The retailer is looking to nab exclusives for the assortment with brands that aren’t widely distributed. After six months, high-performing brands in The Cache may transition into the retailer’s main assortment.

Olsen advises brands interested in selling at Bluemercury to hone in on defining the white space they’re tackling and demonstrating retail readiness. Highlighting key wins either in DTC distribution or in similarly situated retailers can speak volumes, too.

Olsen says, “Brands need to understand what differentiates their company or products from Bluemercury’s current assortment and be able to clearly communicate that during the pitch.”

Founders shouldn’t shy away from sharing data that showcases the brand’s success. Olsen says, “If you are a top brand in your category at a certain retailer or you are selling a lot of units per month on your website, those five minutes are when you need to share that.”

Olsen cautions brands not to spend too much time delving into their backgrounds or reviewing each product in their assortments. She says, “Instead, focus on assuring the buyer you have the capabilities to support a roll-out to stores, that your target customer is aligned with theirs and how your products will resonate with their customers.”