A new chain outlet on Chapel Street fills an empty storefront, creates four new jobs, brings color to the block, and offers immortality in a bottle.
A top seller at L’Occitane En Provence, which officially opened on Thursday, is the global beauty product company’s “Creme Divine: A L’Immortelle Bioloque.” It’s $106 for a 1.7-ounce bottle.
L’Occitane held an official ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday morning, featuring city and Yale officials. The bright orange store is located at 1042 Chapel St. the former home of Tracy B, the boutique that moved to Branford last February.
Mayor Toni Harp said she is “so pleased to welcome a new store.”
“Thank you for coming to New Haven,” she said. “I look forward to shopping here.”
Teresa Gefter, L’Occitane’s vice president of retail said the company is “thrilled to be part of the New Haven and Yale community.”
After snipping the ceremonial ribbon, Mayor Harp picked up a manicure set for herself.
Steve Kovel, who own’s Hulls Art Supplies and heads a business association of Yale property stores, hailed the store and “the brightness it brings to the street.”
“The color is just beautiful,” he said.
Gefter said L’Occitane started in the south of France and is now a global company, with about 200 locations in the United States, including five others in Connecticut. She said the company renovated the interior to create an “authentic store design from the south of France.” The store sports a new intricately tiled floor.
Fragrance fills the air. By the front door, “favorite” products include not only divine cream, but also almond shower oil ($24), shea butter ($28), and “Pivoine Flora Eau de Toilette” ($47).
