Makeup retailer Morphe closes all US stores after being criticized for surprising employees with empty shelves and layoffs

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Beauty retailer Morphe confirmed in a tweet on Thursday that it had closed all of its stores in the United States. The brand will now exclusively sell its products online and at select retailers.

Beauty retailer Morphe has confirmed it is closing its US makeup stores, effective immediately.

In a tweet posted on the brand’s account on Thursday, Morphe described the closures as a “difficult decision”.

“We are forever grateful to our store teams for their passion, talent and dedication over the years,” Morphe wrote. “Customers can continue to purchase Morphe online and at select retailers. Morphe stores outside the United States will remain open.”

Morphe disabled the comment function at the time of writing, but a spokesperson for Morphe’s parent company, FORMA Brands, told Insider in an email that it had “made the strategic decision” to focus on wholesale and e-commerce operations “after careful evaluation of all aspects” of its business.

“We believe this change will allow Morphe to better compete in the broader beauty landscape and more effectively reach our customers where and how they shop,” the statement said. “Connecting with consumers around the world through beauty stalls at the center of everything we do, and while we’ve loved welcoming customers to our stores, we look forward to focusing on the core areas of our business, including our wholesale partnerships, strong e-commerce footprint and innovative brand marketing strategy. »

As of Thursday, Morphe stores in the UK, Netherlands and Australia appear to be open, according to the brand’s website.

—Morphe (@MorpheBrushes) January 5, 2023Morphe has faced criticism in recent weeks, with a former employee telling Insider that his entire store has been laid off

The beauty brand – known for its affordable makeup brushes and collaborations with influencers – has been widely criticized since late December 2022 by people who claim to have worked for the brand.

Many made TikTok videos depicting their empty stores and said they were never told by management why there was no inventory. In some cases, employees described mass sales and surprise layoffs.

Insider spoke to a former store manager who said she noticed products were discounted at the Texas store she’d worked at for over a year and ended up having no stock to line up. the shelves during the holidays in 2022.

On December 22, she said, her entire store was fired and told their last day of work would be December 26.

@creepypeachy justice for the employees of morphe #morphe #morpheretail original sound – dani

On Wednesday, a FORMA Brands spokesperson told Insider that the brand “has made the decision to close some US stores,” but did not share a number.

The statement cites “the broader beauty landscape throughout the past year” as the reason for the closures.

“Decisions that impact our employees are incredibly difficult and we express our deepest gratitude to the dedicated members of the Morphe Stores team in the closing stores for delivering exceptional beauty experiences to countless consumers over the years. years,” the statement said.

Although Morphe’s rep didn’t explain what broader industry headwinds the brand was facing, The New York Times reported in 2022 that the retailer had fallen out of favor with Gen Z for its relationship with women. controversial influencers like Jeffree Star and James Charles and a shifting cultural interest. in skin care on makeup.

Insider reporter noticed bare shelves at a Morphe store in New Jersey just before it closed

Insider visited a Morphe store in Paramus, New Jersey later that day and found it was still open for business. However, there were no shoppers at the time of the visit and almost no beauty products on the shelves.

An empty Morphe makeup store in Paramus, New Jersey on Dec. 4, 2022. Amanda Krause/Insider

The only remaining products were makeup from rem beauty (Ariana Grande’s brand) and Morphe’s collaboration brush set with Ariel Tejada, Kylie Jenner’s makeup artist. Both sets of items have been excluded from stores at 80% off.

A display of Morphe x Ariel signature brushes during the closing of a Morphe store in Paramus, New Jersey. Amanda Krause / Insider

Insider returned to the store Thursday hours before Morphe confirmed that all US stores had been closed.

The doors were closed, the shelves were empty, and it looked like the product displays were slowly being taken down.

A closed Morphe store in Paramus, New Jersey on Dec. 5, 2023. Amanda Krause/Insider

Prior to Thursday’s announcement, 27 Morphe stores remained in the United States according to the brand’s website store locator; at the time of writing, however, that number had dropped to 19.

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