Zóe of Oxford on the Square is More Than Just Cosmetics and Fragrance

By Candace Smith
Hottytoddy.com contributor

Located two doors down from Uptown Coffee on the Square sits cosmetic, beauty and fragrance stop, Zóe. Zóe is a privately-owned business that specializes in a number of different beauty products and lines.

Since the store’s opening in April 2004 it has received major success in the Oxford community. Not only does the store offer cosmetics, it also offers fragrances, bath and body products, skincare products, hair products, nail colors and accessories.
The store prides itself in providing a personalized, small business feel while offering products found in many retailers of the beauty world.
Although the business was founded in Memphis, owner Rebecca Haddad bought the business and quickly moved its location to the historic small town of Oxford where she opened shop at the Oxford Square.
At the time, there were no other makeup stores in Oxford. Haddad’s main goal was to bring that to the community, and over time, Zóe expanded beyond the reigns of makeup.
“We’ve got everything from anti-aging skincare to the latest trendy makeup,” Zóe manager Rivers Countiss said. “Our goal is to cater to all ages.”
Zóe’s line of cosmetics feature top brands like Bare Minerals, Smashbox, and Lipstick Queen, while their fragrances include lush collections Bond No. 9, Creed, and Kai. In addition, Zóe specializes in a wide range of both revitalizing bath, body and skincare products like Philosophy, Molton Brown, Mario Badescu, Clarisonic.
For nail colors, hair products and accessories, Zóe provides shoppers with brands like Living Proof, Deborah Lippmann, S’well, and Beauty Blender.

“We target a lot of different people so we try to have a very diverse range of what we offer as a store,” Zóe associate Mallory Rowland said. “We offer everything from hair vitamins to make up to bath essential oils to beauty brushes, a lot of different things.”
Zóe even has beauty products suited for men.
“You can tell that they’re slightly embarrassed to come in, but after they keep coming back they get comfortable with what they’re shopping for,” said Rowland. “You’d be surprised at how many men are actually interested in skincare and actually have a skincare routine.”
Luxury brands like the shaving classic, Proraso—the Mario Badescu skincare line—as well as the Molton Brown body collection which includes a body wash, body lotion and body scrubs for men have proved popular among male shoppers at Zóe.
Store presentation and cleanliness is important to the identity of Zóe, the managers said.
“We take pride in how clean our store is and that makes a big difference,” Rowland said. “We also pay attention to packaging so items next to each other don’t clash.”
Sales, discounts and promotions are always offered at Zóe. Countiss said the store offers a loyalty program that gives customers a point for every dollar they spend. When a customer reaches a certain number of points, they are eligible for a discount off of their entire purchase.
“We have a $10 sales table that’s pretty popular, and we always advertise sales on Instagram,” Rowland said. “We have people that come in and say I saw this on Instagram.”
Ole Miss football games and wedding season are also popular times at Zóe for business.
Rowland said shoppers will usually stop by the Friday before a game if they forgot a product at home. Shoppers will also stop if they’re visiting and they notice Zóe has something they don’t have in their hometown and they want to try something new. Rowland said that makeup products are especially popular during football season for those wanting to look their best on game day.
Zoé also provides customers with makeovers for occasions like prom, graduation and even weddings.
“A whole bridal party can be found in the store on a given Saturday getting makeup done and prepping for the big day,” Rowland said.

---