Christmas review 2014: Best of beauty

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© Copyright True Story. January 2015once upon a Christmas

& oThEr sToriEsThe fashion retailer has created dedicated space

in-store for its beauty offer, which felt stylishly

simple, yet aspirational.

The pastel palette gave a relaxed, calming atmosphere to this room within a store

We loved the simplicity of the merchandising – bulldog clips, lollipop stick nail colour swatches, and tiny wooden POS holders for both testers and motivational quotes

Mobile trolleys allowed the store to mix up merchandising while providing a salon-esque mood

Own-brand packaging was incredibly simple, with highlights of branded ribbon on gift packs

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BArE minErAlsBare by name, bare by nature, this pared-back

store could easily be mistaken for a make-up

studio rather than a shop, but we liked it all the

more for that.

The brand has limited skus, which allowed the store to hero display the entire range in a simple way

One side of the room focused on categories, e.g. lips and eyes, whereas the other was defined by skin type, e.g. fair and dark, to appeal to customers in different shopping modes

a simple relaxation area invited customers to linger and interact with staff

A giant feature wall showcased customers and looks they had created. This was replicated online and enhanced by quotes from the customers

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BirchBoxThis online retailer of subscription-only beauty

boxes has embraced bricks-and-mortar with

an ultra-modern, pared-back approach.

Customers could buy just one box, themed by hair, face etc, encouraging trial and providing the e-tailer with valuable data for remarketing

A modern, fresh colour palette and graphic approach felt contemporary. Merchandising furniture gave the feel of a studio or salon

Editorial cues abounded in language – a ‘Top 10’ in a bold display, plus ‘This month’s box’ as a hero feature for the subscription service

Tutorial POS gave an expert and reassuring feel for customers who may not be familiar with the brand

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BoBBi BrownStrong merchandising and graphics made

Bobbi Brown a favourite for us this year.

We loved the graphic walls behind the till-points – these differed in each store we visited, but whatever the theme, they were a real focal point

Although gifting language was used in places – “ready, set, give” – expertise was the lead message both in the window and in-store, with a huge focus on make-up lessons. This was supported online with the ability to Live Chat with a make-up artist

We loved the illuminated merchandisers and mirrors, particularly Bobbi’s Best Sellers stand, which showcased six products and compelled customers to pick up. Own-brand packaging was incredibly simple, with highlights of branded ribbon on gift packs

Mini beauty sets were encased in gorgeous tortoiseshell or crocodile print hard casings and displayed in opulent red and black merchandisers – difficult to miss and impossible to resist

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BUrBErrYBased in Covent Garden (fast-becoming London’s

new beauty retail hub), Burberry’s dedicated

beauty boutique was dressed to impress.

Captivating digital windows replicated the Burberry check, animated with glitter and a flurry of sparkle

The iconic check was seen throughout – from the bright pink ribbon windows, through to the fine imprint detail in the packaging and even the make-up itself

Gentle nods to Christmas were found throughout the store, emulating the overall Burberry Christmas theme, e.g. small statues wearing Burberry scarves

Upstairs there was a whole floor dedicated to personalisation, mixing beauty, fragrance and fashion in bespoke gift sets. This included monogramming of a My Burberry perfume bottle

To test fragrance, it was spritzed onto a gold ribbon and tied around the wrist – a memorable touch even after leaving store

We loved the nail varnish colour tester: Place 6 colours on a platform above a digital screen; the software ‘reads’ the colour; customers choose a skin tone and then the screen shows how the colour would look on your hand

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kiEhl’sA riot of colour and graphics, there was no missing

Kiehl’s artistic collaboration this Christmas.

The campaign strapline was ‘A World of Giving’, but subsequent copy encouraged starting your Christmas shopping with a treat for yourself

Central to the theme was a collaboration with artists Craig & Carl – one American, one British – with cues to both cultures peppered throughout, e.g. freestanding graphics of the Statue of Liberty torch

The graphic pop art extended across the experience, from a colouring board for customers through to product packaging

Edited choice – a product wall of ‘Kiehl’s Favourites’ was a big feature

The brand also extended its reach with a pop-up store in New York’s Time Square, which continued the bright and bold theme

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molTon BrownTactile merchandising with pops of neon

colour and interesting festive gifting products

made Molton Brown a go-to beauty

destination this year.

Top-to-bottom tiled walls with lit recesses and a focal sink area gave the impression of a pampering bathroom

Muted, tactile colours and merchandising inspired by nature, e.g. chopped logs as plinths, were complemented with pops of neon colour to lift the mood and catch the eye

Baubles were a key theme throughout – both in terms of in-store treatment, where they hung from branches and were filled with ingredients, through to bauble-shaped handwashes packaged in crackers

However, the subtly of the Christmas campaign language meant the whole store felt like a stylised, understated nod to the season

Oversized header graphics were given a 3D feel for a sense of movement in the store

Traditional pre-packed gift sets featured heavily, but bespoke gifts could be created with mix & match minis

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sEphorA 1Dramatic imagery, inventive merchandising

and perfect pick-me-up gifts all served to make

Sephora a place for beauty lovers to explore,

and importantly buy from, this Christmas.

While the store had a definite Christmas theme, it was very much in keeping with the overall brand look and feel, giving the impression that Sephora definitely know what works for them and their customers

The overall Christmas campaign was called ‘Gift It, Get It’ – however, we noticed different treatments per city – Paris had a slightly surreal mermaid theme, while the US took a more traditional approach to Christmas with bows

Flat, illustrative graphics were made 3D on key headers, using slot-together cardboard for a simple, yet effective solution

The store used oversized permanent fixtures to create specific zoning, for example Beauty Studio and Nail Studio, but also broke up the store further with smaller pop-up gifting fixtures

An events calendar was at the store entrance, highlighting technique masterclasses, such as evening smoky eyes

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sEphorA 2Emotive language, contemporary, playful imagery

and artful interruptions made for a theatrical store

that held customers’ interest.

Simple, emotive language intertwined with illustrative beauty cues, e.g. eyelashes, pouting lips and toiletry pump dispensers

Christmas gifting was heroed within the main fixtures, providing an interesting break to the run of product and an instant switch of shopping mode

In-store theatre came via curved ceiling lighting and digital screens, creating bespoke areas that moved customers through the store

We loved the vinyl used on the Nail Studio – dripping paint and splatters on the floor – so simple, but imaginative

Value featured strongly at the front of the store, drawing the customer in

We also saw a Foundation Matching technology that we hadn’t previously seen from Sephora

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sEphorA 3Innovative sample sizes and merchandisers

that encouraged impulse buys made purchasing

difficult to resist.

Recessed lighting and pigeon-hole sized merchandisers invited customers to rummage and explore product

Technology helped customers experiment – nail colour is painted onto acetate and then overlaid on hands to test a colour without affecting customers’ current colour

Till points featured minis from aspirational brands for great value trial, e.g. a sample-sized SmashBox palette for $20 was available – it felt like this was a point of difference to other retailers

We found a host of enticing product ideas. Two of our favourites were: a paint tin full of snap-top, single application nail polishes application and a Tory Birch rollerball fragrance in a cracker, plus sweet touches such as a foiled cut-out lip gift tag on a lipstick

Gifting was encouraged with free gift packaging – boxes, pouches and bags for added reward. Out-of-store, key gifting messages were promoted with the hint, hint app

If you’d like to know more about anything in this report, or you’d like to request a copy of our ‘Once Upon A Christmas’ complete retail review, please contact...

Jayne Mayled [email protected] Carrie Eames [email protected]

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Christmas review 2014: Best of beauty

Retail

Transcript of Christmas review 2014: Best of beauty