The beauty industry is fighting back against the mass exodus to online retailers – with the kind of exclusivity that can only be experienced in-store.
From plumes of powder to spritzes of perfumes, the department-store beauty hall has remained in many ways unchanged since Harry Selfridge first moved personal-care products to the front of his Oxford Street store early last century. But in the face of a difficult retail landscape, with the British high street suffering closures and losses as footfall dries up, the beauty industry is fighting back against the mass exodus of consumers from bricks-and-mortar stores to online retailers. How? By putting exclusivity and experiences at the heart of its offering – whether it is receiving makeup tips directly from Pat McGrath or getting your hands on products you can’t find anywhere else in the world.
So far, it’s working. According to market research company The NPD Group, British high-street stores still accounted for 80% of prestige beauty sales in 2018, while, in fashion, Mintel reported that online sales already made up almost a quarter of total spend back in 2017. Same-day delivery and add-to-basket ease might make online shopping the more convenient option, but when it comes to beauty, nothing quite compares to the ability to sniff, play with and try products in the flesh. Nars’s new highlighter might look like any other highlighter online, but have you seen, in person, what it can do to your cheekbones?
The British chain Boots is facing the online challenge head-on. Following reports in May that the company could close up to 200 stores over the next two years due to competition from discount retailers and online specialists, Boots has retaliated by completely overhauling its cosmetics offering. That has meant refitting 26 stores in key locations, including Sheffield, Lincoln and Hull, to make way for a “beauty playground” in which cult brands such as Fenty Beauty by Rihanna and affordable skincare range The Ordinary are stocked alongside stalwarts such as Revlon, Rimmel and Maybelline.
“Shopping in-store is all about the experience,” says Joanna Rogers, commercial director and vice president of beauty and gifting at Boots UK. “We’ve removed the big-brand counters and replaced them with trending zones, discovery areas and live demonstration areas.” In addition, a “concept” store complete with YouTube studio and water refill station has also opened in Covent Garden, London, with more expected to follow around the country.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/
