Macy's Taps Kering Beaute Americas CEO to Lead Bluemercury Luxury Beauty Relaunch

The Quick Take

• Macy's Inc. has appointed Alexandre Choueiri — former CEO and President of the Americas for Kering Beaute, L'Oreal's luxury beauty arm — to lead its Bluemercury spa and beauty retail subsidiary.
• The executive hire signals Macy's strategic intent to reposition Bluemercury as a premium luxury beauty destination at a time when department stores are competing with specialty and direct-to-consumer beauty channels.
• Choueiri's background at both Kering Beaute and L'Oreal's largest geographic region brings relationships with high-end beauty brands crucial to Bluemercury's differentiated merchandise strategy.

Macy's Inc. has recruited Alexandre Choueiri, the former Americas president and CEO of Kering Beaute — the luxury goods group's beauty division that represents brands including YSL Beaute and Gucci Beauty — to lead Bluemercury, its upscale spa and luxury skincare retail chain. The appointment reflects a targeted leadership upgrade designed to sharpen Bluemercury's competitive positioning against Sephora, Ulta Beauty, and the growing roster of direct-to-consumer luxury skincare brands. Bluemercury occupies a distinct niche as a spa-integrated luxury beauty retailer with a personalized service model, and Choueiri's experience at the luxury end of the beauty market brings credibility in attracting premium brand partnerships.

The strategic implications for Macy's broader portfolio are significant. Bluemercury has been one of the parent company's more stable assets during the department store sector's multi-year traffic decline, as its smaller-format, service-led model is less vulnerable to e-commerce substitution than core Macy's. However, competition from LVMH's Sephora — which has accelerated its premium product curation — and from direct-to-consumer luxury skincare brands entering brick-and-mortar via their own boutiques presents headwinds. Choueiri's hire positions Bluemercury to compete on brand exclusivity and luxury service rather than on price or assortment breadth.

Key signals to watch include Bluemercury's same-store sales and new store opening cadence under Choueiri's leadership, which will clarify whether the executive hire translates into meaningful revenue acceleration. The macro variable is US consumer spending resilience at the luxury beauty tier — prestige beauty has historically outperformed mass cosmetics during periods of consumer softness, but the current high-interest-rate environment is beginning to show luxury consumer spending moderation. Watch Macy's quarterly results for any updated Bluemercury-specific metrics that signal early execution progress.

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