Fort Belvoir, Va. (Nov. 6, 2014) - The first freestanding MAC store on a military installation opened Oct. 30 at the Fort Belvoir Exchange.
MAC is a manufacturer of cosmetics and sells a variety of beauty products including lipstick, foundation, skincare products and makeup brushes.
Reggie Dawson, vice president, consumables division for the Exchange, said the MAC store has been in the works since 2011.
"Michele Rack at MAC is an Army brat so when we brought her to Fort Belvoir last December and walked her through the Exchange, she (knew) that Fort Belvoir had the right demographics to have a freestanding MAC store," Dawson said. Rack is the regional vice president of sales and training for the east division.
The store is the second among all military branches with the Navy having opened a store in September at Naval Base San Diego; however it's within their main Exchange store. The next MAC store will be opening at Fort Hood, Texas, at a later date.
"One of the reasons we went after MAC is because it is one of the most popular brands and customers have been asking for this brand for a very long time," Dawson said. "So we expect to open more."
She said it was based on demographics and location which led to Fort Belvoir being the chosen location for the freestanding store.
She said the grand opening went well and they exceeded their goals for the store opening.
"As word spreads about MAC being here, it's just going to attract more and more customers," she said.
Although AAFES is running the store, the beauty artists are all MAC trained and MAC employees. Long-term MAC fans can expect the same level of service they would get from stores off the installation.
The store manager, Rashe Gibson is former Navy and the assistant manager, Andrea Lynn, is a military spouse, she said. Having two managers with military affiliation makes them relatable to their customer base.
By shopping at the MAC store on Fort Belvoir, Dawson said it keeps their dollars in the community as the money goes back towards supporting the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Reaction, which supports activities for military Families.
"I absolutely love it. It's about time," said Joy Lindgren, a military spouse, about Fort Belvoir getting a MAC store. "I have been a loyal MAC customer for years but it's sometimes really hard to find a MAC counter. The post has the best of everything … and you have everything you need here in our self-contained small community. When you are so far away from Family it's nice to have something else that is something I love right here close. I love that."
Having the MAC store at the Exchange means she can grab the essentials she needs for her Family, while also picking up something for herself. She said it's not easy being a military spouse, especially if you are new to the area.
"There are a lot of days (when) I'm running out with my makeup because I just don't have time," Lindgren said. "It's nice to be able to put some effort into myself without having to sacrifice the other things that I need to do for my Family."
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