Chic stock attracts teens to Rickv's

Drug Store News, June 25, 2001

Ricky's Urban Groove is clearly a chain that understands what teens and 20-some-things want. With more than 100 styles of wigs, over 6 feet devoted to flip-flop sandals and some clearly racy merchandise in its mix, this is not a typical health and beauty aid store.

And that's just the way co-owner Todd Kenig wants it. "We aren't typical, and that's what makes us successful," he told Drug Store News during a tour of Ricky's West 58th Street store in Manhattan's Columbus Circle area. "Other stores come in to see what we are doing, and by the time they try to copy it, we've completely changed. That's what makes it exciting for our customer. We change as quickly as they do."

It certainly helps to have a gut instinct for what teenagers will respond to on the shelf, but a sharp eye for the slightest ripple in the pop culture scene takes Ricky's that much farther. Hence, a 6-foot area devoted to cowboy hats, vital for consumers wanting to emulate Madonna's latest incarnation as an urban cowgirl.

"We've done well with lunch boxes recently," Kenig added. "Girls buy something and come back a week later for an other, different lunch box." Ricky's continues to fine-tune its tattoo offerings. "Jem tattoos are it now," said Josie Ultarte, the store's buyer.

While hair color and professional hair care products are also strong categories at the 3,500-square-foot store, the chain's cosmetics departments are a destination for the teen shopper who is constantly reinventing her look. Ricky's carries only control label cosmetics.

Ricky's Mattese NYC, the chain's six-year-old private label make-up artist line, has now been joined by a newer, hipper private label brand, Fierce. "Mattese is a known entity now and Fierce gives us a chance to create something based on what our customer wants. If a customer comes in and asks for a pink glitter that doesn't easily fade, we'll make it. If it sells, we add it to the line," said Kenig.

Most important, Ricky's cosmetics counters are always staffed and filled with plenty of testers. Ultarte wouldn't dream of displaying makeup in pegged sections.

Ricky's will soon be testing its concept for expansion beyond Manhattan. "We're opening four new stores soon and have a long-range plan for expansion beyond New York City in the next five years," said Ricky Kenig, the six-store chain's namesake and co-owner

Ricky's is unafraid to reinvent its own look. During Halloween, the stores are converted to fully fledged costume shops, as the chain's regularly vast assortment of wigs and theatrical makeup is augmented by a selection of masks, costumes and assorted other props.

Ricky's simply hangs the limited-time-only merchandise from its regular shelves and fixtures. More serious-minded PBC shoppers are still able to find their shampoo on the shelves--it's right behind the PowerPuff Girl costumes and Austin Powers masks.