![\"Retail](\"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/RETAIL-ONLINE-TRAINING-728-X-90.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Sometimes a store is just a store\u2026and sometimes it\u2019s a lot more. MAC Cosmetics<\/strong>\u2019 newly redesigned flagship at the Deji Plaza luxury shopping center in Nanjing, China definitely falls into the latter category.<\/p>\n Reopened just in time to celebrate the 20th<\/sup> <\/strong>anniversary of the brand\u2019s entrance into China, the store now features a visually stunning, futuristic design meant not just to stop shoppers in their tracks (although it will certainly do that), but also to reflect the evolution of the brand and its customers.<\/p>\n \u201cWith every detail, we\u2019ve aimed to meet the next generation of consumers with experiences that blend high-performance artistry, immersive storytelling and creative freedom,\u201d said A\u00efda Moudachirou-R\u00e9bois, SVP and Global General Manager at MAC Cosmetics in an interview with Retail TouchPoints<\/em>. <\/p>\n \u201cChina is one of MAC\u2019s largest and most influential international markets, and its impact on the global beauty industry is undeniable,\u201d she added. \u201cChinese consumers are incredibly trend-savvy, expressive and digitally engaged \u2014 what resonates in China often sets the tone for what\u2019s next in beauty.<\/strong> And as the market has evolved, so has MAC. We\u2019ve embraced livestreaming, developed Asia-specific complexion shades tailored to local undertones and invested in immersive retail experiences that bring our artistry to life.\u201d<\/p>\n The new flagship in Nanjing is a bold example of that evolution, brought to life by celebrated Chinese architect Li Xiang and her firm X+ Living.<\/p>\n \u201cA brand\u2019s flagship store should never be just a place to sell products. Its true purpose lies in creating a tangible, physical space where people can connect with the brand \u2014 without needing words. Space itself becomes a language<\/strong>,\u201d said Li in an interview with Retail TouchPoints<\/em>. \u201cMAC is a brand with intense emotional tension. It doesn\u2019t shy away from sharpness, individuality or boldness. What I hoped to create was a spatial aura that people could immediately feel the moment they stepped inside \u2014 a presence that embodies MAC\u2019s core: its avant-garde spirit, creative energy and unapologetic self-expression<\/strong>. What this store presents is not just a collection of products \u2014 it\u2019s a statement of MAC\u2019s vision of beauty.\u201d<\/p>\n That vision is already drawing in customers and paying dividends for the brand. Foot traffic at the store more than doubled<\/strong> from benchmark levels during the location\u2019s soft opening, which took place June 13-22. Not only that, but sales increased 34%<\/strong> and new customer acquisition was up a whopping 65%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Moudachirou-R\u00e9bois and Li took Retail TouchPoints<\/em> inside the aesthetic inspiration and strategic philosophy that led to the company\u2019s lyrical new concept store.<\/p>\n Nostalgic references are the flavor du jour<\/em> in many design circles, but for the MAC flagship Li said she had \u201c<\/strong>no intention of following the mainstream trend toward retro sentimentality<\/strong>,\u201d noting that far from being rooted in nostalgia, MAC is a brand with its eye to the future.<\/p>\n \u201cTo me, design is not about excessive addition, but about distillation \u2014 refining the brand\u2019s existing visual language, product symbols and cultural meanings into an environment that feels immersive and experiential,\u201d explained Li.<\/p>\n For MAC, Li leaned into a futuristic vibe with metallic textures and mechanical deconstructions to create a store that exudes \u201cforce and cultural posture.\u201d But to do it right, she had to find an entry point into the brand\u2019s spirit. For Li, that ended up being a piano. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMost art forms exist in two-dimensional space. Music is one of the few that fills and moves through three dimensions; it can\u2019t be seen \u2014 it flows, penetrates and refuses to be confined,\u201d explained Li. \u201cThat very nature, to me, makes music the perfect metaphor for MAC\u2019s identity. MAC has always stood for diversity, boldness and breaking boundaries \u2014 and music carries that same tension.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cSo the next challenge was, \u2018How do I translate music into spatial language?\u2019<\/em> <\/em>I began with the anatomy of instruments \u2014 dissecting their structures and reinterpreting them architecturally. The piano in particular stands out: It is architecturally intricate in its inner workings, while also culturally loaded with elegance and universal recognition.\u201d<\/p>\n And that is the nugget that became MAC\u2019s Nanjing flagship. Inspired by the anatomy of a deconstructed grand piano, the space transforms MAC\u2019s most iconic products into architectural instruments:<\/strong> lipsticks as black keys, palettes as tuning knobs and a sculptural ceiling that mirrors the inside of a stringed instrument.\u00a0<\/p>\n Visitors are greeted at the entrance with an installation that interprets the form of a grand piano through MAC products, with a piano lid and body that resemble an open compact. When pressed, the piano\u2019s black lipstick keys play real notes.<\/p>\n \u201cWe embraced a concept that turns the structure of a grand piano into an immersive, emotionally expressive beauty experience \u2014 one that places artistry, exploration and individuality at the center,\u201d explained Moudachirou-R\u00e9bois. \u201cThis flagship is a love letter to the Chinese consumer \u2014 one of the most expressive, sophisticated and creatively engaged beauty communities in the world.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n This ethos continues throughout the store. While the entrance is more conceptual, as customers move deeper into the space, the design becomes more subtle, focused on experience and even laced with humor, said Li.<\/p>\n Every detail in the store is engineered for the beauty disruptor<\/strong>: AR-powered try-on mirrors, co-creation stations to remix looks in real time, masterclass spaces and signature services tailored to local beauty rituals.<\/p>\n \u201cIn an ideal commercial space, every functional element should be embedded within a unified aesthetic concept \u2014 and every artistic expression should naturally serve the act of use itself,\u201d said Li. \u201c[For example], the makeup area, though limited in size, achieves high flexibility<\/strong> through a combination of foldable makeup tables, hinged mirror cabinets and stowable chairs. This transformable structure supports a wide range of uses \u2014 from daily makeup trials to tutorials and photo shoots.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Another example is the store\u2019s \u201cgifting zone<\/strong>,\u201d where MAC\u2019s classic packaging served as the inspiration for the area\u2019s structure and aesthetic.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope that in such a space, consumers not only \u2018see\u2019 MAC but also \u2018step into\u2019 MAC,\u201d said Li.<\/p>\n The Nanjing store is the first of several upcoming bespoke flagships that MAC is planning to introduce in key markets, each intended to \u201csurprise and delight consumers with immersive brand experiences that reinforce our pillars of artistry, community and innovation<\/strong>,\u201d said Moudachirou-R\u00e9bois.<\/p>\n These flagships also will serve as testing grounds<\/strong> for ideas that the company may eventually scale across its global network. In fact, several new initiatives are being piloted at the Nanjing store, such as an enhanced gifting program that lets customers personalize products through engraving and customized packaging, with store-exclusive bags, ribbons and charms that are inspired by the specific locale. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cLooking ahead, we\u2019re focused on deepening our cultural connection with the Chinese consumer through partnerships with locally relevant talent<\/strong> like Jolin Tsai, our rock-steady backstage presence at Shanghai Fashion Week and our annual Chinese New Year collections,\u201d Moudachirou-R\u00e9bois added. \u201cWe also look forward to introducing some groundbreaking new product innovations<\/strong> in the months to come, all thoughtfully designed with the Chinese consumer in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n And in the meantime, the company hopes that customers have a ball at the new store. \u201cThe power of beauty lies not only in being seen, but in being felt,\u201d said Li. \u201cVisual stimulation works through intuition, but it can provoke deep psychological responses \u2014 perhaps a sense of ease from feeling understood, an impulse to express oneself or a moment of recognition and affirmation of one\u2019s identity. Beauty is a mechanism of awakening \u2014 it reconnects people with their own emotions.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why, when I encountered this project and the MAC brand, I felt an instinctive sense of alignment,\u201d she added. \u201cMAC\u2019s advocacy of \u2018beauty for everyone\u2019 and \u2018unbounded self-expression\u2019 deeply resonates with the spirit of design itself. Neither design nor a brand like MAC is about creating a standardized image of beauty \u2014 we are both engaged in expressing an attitude, a philosophy, a right to self-identification and freedom of choice.<\/strong> To me, that is the true power of beauty.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Inside](\"https:\/\/www.retailtouchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MAC\u5fb7\u57fa\u5e97-016-resized.jpg\")
A Futuristic \u2018Distillation\u2019 of the MAC Brand<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Music\u2019s Dimensionality Provides Store Inspiration<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.retailtouchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MAC\u5fb7\u57fa\u5e97-026-resized.jpg\")
An Invitation to Not Just See, but Step into the MAC Brand<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Inside](\"https:\/\/www.retailtouchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MAC\u5fb7\u57fa\u5e97-014-resized.jpg\")
New Series of MAC Flagships to Serve as Experience Testing Grounds<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Inside](\"https:\/\/www.retailtouchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MAC\u5fb7\u57fa\u5e97-022-resized.jpg\")
![\"Inside](\"https:\/\/www.retailtouchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MAC\u5fb7\u57fa\u5e97-010-resized.jpg\")