Glossier Lays Off 24 Employees Amid Reorganisation Ahead of Sephora Entry

Glossier is re-organising its company as it readies to enter Sephora early next year.

The brand laid off about two dozen employees today, according to an internal email from chief executive officer Kyle Leahy, which was obtained by BoF. Glossier will also add about 20 new employees in the second half of the year, including at the leadership level, as it transitions to an omnichannel model with a leading retailer in stores across the US and Canada.

Glossier’s deal with Sephora is the brand’s first wholesale partnership since it launched in 2014 as a direct-to-consumer business, conceived of and championed by founder Emily Weiss, who moved into an executive chairwoman role earlier this year. The brand has only sold its makeup, skin care, body care and fragrance on its own e-commerce site, its largest channel, followed by flagship stores in key cities and a series of pop-ups across the US and select cities in Europe.

“I am energised by the progress we are rapidly making against our omni-channel strategy,” Leahy wrote, referencing an elevated product roadmap, the Sephora partnership, a re-platforming of Glossier’s website and the opening of freestanding doors this year in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Philadelphia and Brooklyn. Glossier’s SoHo flagship will re-open in early 2023.

“Our strategy is also about evolution: bringing more Glossier to more people,” Leahy continued. “Our brand has grown … the marketplace has evolved, and our consumers are…looking for us to meet them where they are: in-store, online, at retail partners, and around the world.”

The move into wholesale will transform Glossier from the inside out, starting with the hiring of “critical competencies” that weren’t required when Glossier was only a direct-to-consumer business. According to Leahy, new roles will be focused on wholesale, product and supply chain and operations.

“[We are also] continuing to strengthen our business and financial acumen. Aligning our resources and talent with our strategy will enable us to navigate through the near term in a highly dynamic macroeconomic environment,” Leahy said.

In January, Glossier laid off a third of its workforce, which amounted to more than 80 employees. At the time, the company called the move a “difficult but necessary decision,” adding that “these changes leave us well-positioned as we continue to grow the brand long into the future.”

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