Wendi and Chad will make you want to buy all the soap. Photo by Maria Helena Carey
The mall at Union Station has steadily gone from a mostly-forgettable collection of stores and the Barnes and Noble (which was awesome and which I still miss) to a really great collection of stores in a short time. In the short span of a year, we’ve welcomed Warby Parker, Sugarfina, Carpe Librum, Magnolia Bakery plus the VR Arcade in the lower level, which may not be a store but which is delightful and cool. Last Saturday, September 29, L’Occitane re-opened next door to Magnolia Bakery– in the space formerly occupied by Nine West.
L’Occitane was formerly across the way, in a much larger store. While the store was performing well, the space at the time was a little too unwieldy and L’Occitane closed their store at Union Station for about a year and a half. The new store, a much smaller footprint than the previous incarnation, uses the space in a much more harmonious way: There is a large sink that dominates the center of the store, perfect for sampling all the soap you didn’t know you needed. In addition, there is an inviting sofa in the back, where weary partners can take a load off while their better halves shop for all the aforementioned soap.
Throughout, the store feels lighter and airier, thanks to the Provençal yellow that brightens up when illuminated by LED lightbulbs. The bulbs are just one way in which L’Occitane is committed to being a green, sustainable company: The store is also accepting any and all makeup containers, which they pledge to recycle thanks to their partnership with TerraCycle. When you bring in your containers to recycle, you can get a discount on your purchase. Make sure you say hello to store manager Chad and to Wendi, who are incredibly nice and will pamper you.
Vera, Vera Bradley. Photo by Maria Helena Carey
In additional new-store news, Vera Bradley will be opening a store in the former Moleskine shop space. The Moleskine shop, which operated for about four years across the hall from Sbarro and Amtrak Gate A, closed back in the summer. Vera Bradley will be focusing their stock at this new shop on travel bags and accessories. The store will start welcoming patrons on Sunday, October 14 at noon. If you’re a Vera Bradly fan (and I know my fair share of you quirky lasses), make sure you stop by, as they have a few opening-day specials planned!