Ceremonia’s First Flagship Is A Latin American Oasis In Manhattan

Ceremonia has opened its first flagship as the emerging brand gains momentum in a hot haircare market.  

Situated on the corner of Lafayette and Broome streets in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood, the 750-square-foot store stocks the clean haircare brand’s entire range of 20 stockkeeping units, including bestsellers scalp oil Aceite De Moska, Papaya Scalp Scrub, Scalp Power-Duo, which contains Aceite De Moska and a scalp exfoliating tool, and Sunday Reset Duo, which contains Papaya Scalp Scrub and treatment product Mascarilla de Babassu, along with new releases Guava Protect & Repair Shampoo and Conditioner, and Perfume De La Tierra, which marks Ceremonia’s fragrance debut. The products retail between $12 and $65.

Founder Babba Rivera says establishing a branded brick-and-mortar location is a logical next step in Ceremonia’s omnichannel distribution strategy. Sephora is at the heart of that strategy. Last year, Ceremonia premiered online at the beauty specialty retailer before expanding to 83 doors as part of its The Next Big Thing assortment of budding brands. It’s one of the first Latina-owned haircare brands to bow at Sephora. This year, the brand is expanding chain-wide to over 500 Sephora locations across the United States. Along with Sephora, it’s entered Credo, Net-a-Porter, Thirteen Lune, Shopbop, Revolve and Space NK since launching as a direct-to-consumer brand in late 2020.

“When we think about the bottom line of the business at large, it’s really about winning at Sephora. The store is a building block in that effort because it’s a billboard in the middle of SoHo. We’re in a corner location with a very large Ceremonia sign and yellow brick,” says Rivera. “It will enhance brand awareness and brand storytelling in a way that is unconstrained and uncompromised. We can really do it on our terms and continue to blur the lines between commerce and community.”

The brand recently hired a chief commercial officer to oversee its sales channels, encompassing the flagship, and ensure they’re supporting each other. For example, Rivera says the store’s staff is already in close contact with the brand’s field support team for Sephora should traffic need to be redirected due to low stock levels.

Ceremonia’s store comes on the heels of a $10 million series A round led by Sandbridge Capital, an investment firm that had Ilia and Youth To The People in its portfolio. Those brands exited to Courtin-Clarins and L’Oréal, respectively. Ceremonia previously raised $3 million over two rounds from Silas Capital, Beliade, SoGal Ventures, XFactor Ventures and Female Founders Fund, placing Rivera in an elite group of 58 Latina founders to raise upwards of $1 million in venture capital money. Rivera says the majority of the series A funding is being allocated to Sephora rather than the flagship.

Ceremonia has been on a tear as the prestige haircare market heats up. Between June 2022 and June 2021, the brand’s sales jumped 230%, with quarterly bumps registering slightly under 45%. Its sales have doubled since its arrival at Sephora last summer.

Haircare was the smallest, yet fastest-growing prestige beauty category last year, registering a 22% lift in sales from the year prior, per the market research firm Circana. Prestige haircare generated an estimated $2.6 billion in 2022 sales. Masks and targeted treatments like heat protectants and scalp care helped power the category in the first quarter this year as customers snapped up products above $30 with increased enthusiasm.

To capitalize on haircare’s momentum, investment has been flowing into the category. Straand recently raised $2 million in pre-seed funding from Unilever Ventures, the venture capital arm of Unilever, and Dae completed an $8 million series A round last year that was led by Verity Venture Partners. Gisou, Crown Affair, Alodia and Arey secured funding last year. 

There have been a number of high-profile haircare acquisitions, too. After Proctor & Gamble bought celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkins’ brand Ouai in 2021 for an undisclosed sum, Curlsmith, Briogeo, Nutrafol, Bellami, Amika and Eva NYC traded last year. 

Ceremonia joins a slew of emerging brands opening brick-and-mortar stores to engineer deeper experiences with their customers. Rivera says she hopes the flagship will “amplify our superfans and maybe turn more fans into superfans. Our customers want to immerse themselves more with the brand.”

Orchestrated by Cuban architect Adalberto Angulo and his team at the firm Casa Ángulo, Ceremonia’s store is intended to showcase Latin American culture as much as merchandise. Photos of Rivera’s travels in the region served as inspiration for the interior design and furniture, and ceramics from Latin American creators and artists are dotted throughout the store. Muted shades of cream, white and gray are utilized as a backdrop for Ceremonia’s colorful packaging to draw attention to the products.

Rivera says, “It’s about creating a stage for our product and an environment where our products can shine and where they are the focal point. We are inviting our customers into a Latin American oasis in the middle of SoHo.”

The centerpiece of the store is an island with a dual sink that allows customers to test and feel Ceremonia’s products. “People will be able to put on the scalp oil directly on their hand and see for themselves how lightweight it is and how easily it washes off with our shampoo,” says Rivera. “We want them to have more of a sensorial experience with our products.”

Looking ahead, Ceremonia plans to add exclusive products to its store assortment as well as aligned third-party brands. The brand also plans to partner with neighboring businesses on pop-ups to reach like-minded audiences. Rivera says, “A big focus for us is shining a light on Latinx brands and artisans.”