Granado
Case Study: The Long Game Pays Off
The Challenge: A Decade in the Making
When Brazilian beauty brand Granado first contacted me in 2014, the timing wasn't right. This family-owned company, founded in 1870 and backed by PUIG, had built a strong reputation in South America with their heritage formulations celebrating Brazilian botanicals. But the U.S. beauty market was in transition, and Granado was still developing their international strategy.
Rather than force a premature market entry, we made a strategic decision: maintain the relationship and wait for the right moment. For ten years, we stayed in regular contact, sharing market insights while Granado evolved their brand and the beauty landscape shifted toward authentic, heritage-driven products.
The Strategy: Dual Locations for Maximum Impact
By 2024, both Granado and the market were ready. Instead of testing with a single location, we developed an ambitious dual-location strategy to maximize visibility and serve different customer segments simultaneously.
The Requirements:
Cost-efficient spaces under 800 square feet
Maximum visibility and strong seven-day foot traffic
Locations that could showcase Granado's Brazilian heritage authentically
The Solution:
Two complementary Manhattan locations that would create momentum around Granado's New York debut while serving distinct customer bases.
Nolita: Maximum Street Presence
The Nolita location delivered something exceptional: the widest storefront in the district within a 550 square foot space. Nearly 20 feet of frontage on Prince Street provided unparalleled visibility and immediate visual impact.
This extraordinary street presence accomplished three critical objectives: ensured the brand couldn't be ignored by heavy pedestrian traffic, allowed for creative window displays showcasing Brazilian heritage, and established Granado as a significant retail destination rather than just another boutique.
The neighborhood's sophisticated, internationally-minded clientele made it ideal for introducing American consumers to an authentic Brazilian beauty brand.
Madison Avenue: Corner Luxury Positioning
The design incorporated lush tropical imagery and distinctive mosaic floor tiles emblematic of the Granado brand, creating an immersive experience that transported customers to Brazil while maintaining the upscale atmosphere Madison Avenue customers expect.
The Results: Exceeding All Projections
Both locations have demonstrated strong performance indicators validating the decade-long patience:
High conversion rates indicating effective product curation and brand storytelling
Strong returning customer base showing product satisfaction and brand loyalty
Consistent new customer acquisition through visibility and word-of-mouth
Year-over-year growth suggesting sustainable long-term success
Key Lessons: Strategic Patience and Market Timing
The Long Game Works: The decade-long relationship building wasn't passive waiting – it was active market observation and strategic planning that made successful launch possible when conditions aligned.
Dual-Location Strategy Beats Single Testing: Establishing two complementary presences simultaneously created momentum and significance while serving different customer segments more effectively than cautious single-location testing.
Location Quality Over Size: Both locations achieved exceptional visibility and customer flow within compact footprints, proving strategic site selection can overcome size limitations while maintaining manageable costs.
Authentic Storytelling Wins: Success came from genuine heritage communication rather than superficial representations. The Brazilian design elements worked because they authentically expressed brand identity.
The Granado case demonstrates that the most successful international expansions often require patience, strategic relationship building, and waiting for market conditions to align with brand readiness. The decade of preparation has been vindicated by results that exceed projections and establish a foundation for sustainable growth.
Photos courtesy of Granado