Who Owns Bluemercury?

Marla Malcolm Beck and Barry Beck founded Bluemercury in 1999 in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. The concept combined a curated selection of prestige beauty brands with complimentary spa services in an intimate, service-focused retail environment, an alternative to department store beauty counters and Sephora's self-service model.

Bluemercury grew steadily through the 2000s, expanding beyond D.C. into suburban and urban markets nationally. The business model emphasized skincare expertise, carrying prestige and clinical brands including SkinCeuticals, La Mer, and Augustinus Bader, alongside its own private label M-61 Powerful Skincare, launched in 2007.

The Becks raised private equity funding to fuel expansion, with Invus Group among investors. By 2015, Bluemercury operated roughly 60 stores.

Macy's acquired the company in May 2015 for $210 million, making it a wholly owned subsidiary. The acquisition gave Macy's a dedicated beauty platform and Bluemercury the capital to expand more aggressively. Under Macy's ownership, the store count nearly tripled to approximately 172 locations, and bluemercury.com became a meaningful digital beauty destination.

In fiscal 2025, Bluemercury delivered 1.6% comparable sales growth with record Net Promoter Scores, driven by dermatological skincare and fragrance categories. The company continues expanding its own-brand M-61 line.