BW Confidential - Issue #9 - March/April 2012 - (Page 52)

Retail Store concepts Bright ideas A roundup up of beauty’s innovative new store concepts from around the world Cosmême’s new prestige beauty concept Japanese mass retailer Aeon is out to shake up beauty retailing in Japan with its new prestige store concept. Called Cosmême, the 400m2 (4,306ft2) pilot store opened in November and is located one and a half hours from Tokyo at the Koshigaya shopping mall in Saitama Prefecture. It currently stocks seven prestige brands: Chanel, Dior, Clarins, Helena Rubinstein, Lancôme, Shu Uemura and Yves Saint Laurent, as well as two lines for men: Aramis Lab Series and Clarins Men. The concept is based on “neighborhood luxury”, which the retailer explains as allowing customers to test, try and buy prestige beauty items without having to travel to the department store in the major cities—traditionally the bastion of selective beauty in Japan. The offer is merchandised by brand and customers can open drawers to touch and sample the product, either with or without the help of the beauty advisor. Cosmême is to open two to three more stores this year, and is forecasting some 50 shops in the long term. sCosmême aims to make prestige beauty more widely available in Japan in an accessible format Customized skincare for Etat Pur boutique French company Groupe Naos’ flagship store for its new brand Etat Pur puts the focus on customized skincare at accessible prices. Group Naos, which owns skincare brands Bioderma and Institut Esthederm, launched the Etat Pur brand in June 2011 and opened its store the following October in Paris’ sixth arrondissement. The 70m2 (753ft2) boutique is divided into two areas: one for the brand’s A+ range, a line of 36 pure actives that come in 15ml dropper formats and the +B section featuring a “texture bar” showcasing ready-made creams and cleansers. The actives are meant to be used in conjunction with the readymade +B range. “We think of it as a kind of a Lego system, where you can build your own skincare regimen and obtain pharmaceutical precision in terms of results,” explains Etat Pur managing director Philippe Vincent. The store allows consumers to analyze their skin through questionnaires on wall-mounted iPads, which generate a printed skincare regimen. They can also avail of a hand-held diagnostic tool operated by one of the store’s two beauty advisors in a private area. The brand’s model is based on accessible price points (actives range from €8 to €18), which Vincent says is possible due to its distribution model of an online boutique and wholly owned store, as well as pared down packaging and zero advertising. Etat Pur launched online in France last year and is opening e-commerce to the rest of Europe in 2012. This year it also plans to expand to international markets, beginning with Canada and Brazil. “Although our online boutique is our main distribution channel, we aim to open one flagship store in each export market,” concludes Vincent. March-April 2012 - N°9 - BW Confidential s Etat Pur’s first standalone boasts personalized skincare at accessible price points 52

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of BW Confidential - Issue #9 - March/April 2012

Cover
Comment
Update - Brand & retail news recap
- Companies on the move
Take note - Market facts, figures & trends
Best of BW - Highlights from our e-publication
Launches - The latest in fragrance, skincare & make-up
Interview - HSN gm of beauty & merchandising strategy Betsy Olum
Insight: Make-up - Category overview
- Nails
- Retailing
- The latest trends
Wellness - Online marketing
- Spa case studies
Retail - Pos technologies
- Store concepts
Digital - Social media strategies
Market watch: Brazil fragrance - Country overview
- Fragrance industry roundtable
- Prestige fragrance retailing
Strategy spotlight - Case studies to inspire
Travel retail - Americas regional overview
- Brazilian travelers
- Interview: Nuance Group North America...... Andrew Rattner
Radar - Six up-and-coming beauty brands
Packaging - Electronics in beauty packs
- Latest innovations
Last word - Crépuscule ceo Christophe Lerouge & creative director Olivier Boré

BW Confidential - Issue #9 - March/April 2012