Hot on the heels of her successful entry into skincare, Trinny Woodall is taking her eponymous direct-to-consumer brand in a new direction: retail distribution in the United States.

On Tuesday, Trinny London will launch at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York, less than a year after testing the waters with a pop-up in the store.

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“There will always be a woman who wants to try on products in a store,” Woodall said, during an exclusive interview with WWD. She noted that 39% of respondents to a recent Instagram survey conducted by the brand had not purchased online; When asked why not, respondents said they wanted to see the products in real life.

“It was about I want to touch and feel colors — this visual sense of how you use color,” Woodall said.

Even with the brand’s exclusive Match2Me technology and an in-depth visual library that shows Trinny London makeup products on a wide variety of skin tones and age groups, “there is always the customer who wants to see the products in the store,” she noted.

Woodall, whose only other retail distribution is UK department store Fenwick, said he chose Saks because it’s ambitious but not intimidating. “Women from all walks of life go there,” she said. “When we did the pop-up, we had such a buzz and people who came in felt incredibly comfortable in the environment.”

The pop-up’s success convinced Saks executives to add the line to its permanent matrix. “There was huge demand with a wide range of customers and they responded very well,” said Kate Oldham, senior vice president and general manager of beauty, jewelry and home merchandise at Saks. “Our client is looking for color again, and Trinny is super connected to the client.”

Since launching her brand in 2017, Woodall has built a strong international following, which she calls “Trinny Tribes.” There are 37 tribes in 17 different countries, with over 50,000 members worldwide. Of this number, about 43% are between 45 and 54 years old; 22% are between 22 and 34 years old and 20% are 55 years old and over.

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It’s a very engaged group, with the brand reporting around 20,000 comments in total per week. This also translated into sales. Trinny London grew by 330% in 2020, with revenues reaching £55m for 2021.

Skincare, which launched earlier this year, “fundamentally changed the business,” Woodall said, noting that in less than five months it accounted for 32% of sales.

The United States accounts for about 12.5% ​​of Trinny London’s business, which Woodall hopes to grow to 20% over the next year. While there are no immediate plans to open more Saks doors, she plans to boost her retail presence, noting the goal is to get the space working well before the rush. towards the holidays. While she’s not ruling out the possibility of more pop-ups, she’s not rushing either, and keeping control over online distribution is part of the current strategy.

“I don’t believe in doing pop-ups if you don’t have a long-term strategy in play,” she said. “A pop-up is that lovely appetizer so when you come back three months later you can restock.”

Woodall didn’t rule out the possibility of a stand-alone space, noting, “I don’t think his own stores have to be cathedrals – they could be chapels.

“I’d rather have a bustling chapel than a huge cathedral,” she said. “The idea of ​​a slip of something that is permanently packed is very dynamic.”

Woodall has 1.1 million followers on Instagram, and engagement, not sales, is the most important metric for growing her business. “Whether you buy or not, there’s always an important role to play,” she said. “People convert at all stages and for different reasons, and it’s about never letting go of this woman who is not a client.

“What’s important before a recession is the degree of emotional connection you have with the follower, the customer, and the community,” Woodall continued. “That’s the most important thing.”

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