What We Know About Morphe's Sudden Store Closures

If you spent any time on TikTok over the holidays, you may have seen a viral video or two in which employees of cosmetic brand Morphe's U.S.-based stores complained of being let go with little to no notice (via NBC News). In these videos, employees claimed the company, which was founded in California in 2008 (via Makeup Alley), had not provided their team members with transparency as to what was going on with what appeared to be holiday season layoffs. 

The videos left many fans of the brand confused and frustrated. Then, on January 5, Morphe itself took to Twitter to finally make a formal announcement regarding the layoffs and rumored store closures. The tweet read, "We have made the difficult decision to close all Morphe stores in the U.S. We are forever grateful to our store teams for their passion, talent and dedication over the years." The brand's Twitter account then followed up with a second tweet, which said, "Customers can continue to shop Morphe online and at select retailers. Morphe stores outside the U.S. will remain open."

All 42 Morphe storefronts in the U.S. are officially closing. 

Glossy, a publication dedicated to all things makeup, obtained a statement from Morphe regarding the closures, in which the company explains it plans to focus on wholesale and e-commerce sales, rather than in-person sales at its own shops. The goal, the company says, is to become more competitive and be able to reach their customers where they already shop. 

The statement read in part, "Following a careful evaluation of all aspects of our business, we have made the strategic decision to enhance our focus on the Company's wholesale and e-commerce operations going forward. We believe this shift will position Morphe to better compete in the broader beauty landscape and more efficiently reach our customers where and how they shop."

The statement went on to explain that in spite of how it looks, the brand does value its customers and closed up shops as part of an innovative marketing plan. The statment continued, "Connecting with consumers around the world through beauty stands at the center of everything we do, and while we have loved welcoming customers into our stores, we look forward to focusing on the foundational areas of our business, including our wholesale partnerships, robust e-commerce footprint and innovative brand marketing strategy."