Retail

HEALTHCARE

Beauty, 2021 in the name of change

By Matteo Melani

Personalised, smart, sustainable. In recent years, the personal care sector has changed the parameters of the traditional shopping experience to reflect the needs of its customers.

This transition has already been underway for some time but accelerated during the outbreak of the pandemic starting with the phygital, the interdependence between physical and digital spaces. In the case of Douglas, a chain of perfumeries, digital has made up for not being in shops. In fact, e-commerce has driven total sales and, together with online channels, have reached a record value of 882 million euros (+40.6%). “In the key Christmas quarter, we were once again able to enjoy strong growth of our online business with Singles Day, Black Friday and our Christmas campaign, achieving a record quarter for our e-commerce business,” commented Tina Müller, CEO of the Douglas group, “Our rapid transformation since 2018 is unprecedented among long-standing retail companies and demonstrates the strength of combining traditional and online retail.” In addition to greater flexibility in online shopping, today’s consumers demand quality services and sustainable products. Here are some of the main innovations in this area.

THE DIGITAL GUARANTEE

Online is not just about selling but also about involving the user. The Kiko cosmetics chain is aware of this and in mid-2020 it developed Try it on. This function on its site allows users to digitally try on products such as make-up or lip gloss directly on their face to see the results by uploading a photo or turning on the camera. In addition to online, the service is also accessible in the brand’s points of sale. A similar concept is Lip Lab, a digital tool developed by BITE (a LVMH beauty incubator), which allows customers to create personalized lipsticks from the comfort of their home. The initiative allows you to interact with the brand through your personal taste and needs. BITE is a marketing tool of unquestionable value because it also provides the company information on its customers’ preferences. As with Try it on, BITE allows you to create your own lipstick in stores as well, but so far only in the United States and in Canada.

INNOVATION IN PHYSICAL STORES

As shown by Kiko’s and BITE’s initiatives, the store is not just a place for selling

and promoting products, but a means to entertain and inform the customer about the philosophy of the brand. To make the point of sale attractive to new customers, the décor and style of the shop should represent the brand. For example, in its place of business located at Piazza di Spagna in Rome, Acqua di Parma uses materials made in Italy such as travertine marble, ribbed wood and Murano. As soon as you enter you are immediately aware of the classic design and Italian craftsmanship that the world loves. Another strategy that builds customer loyalty is to provide services that ensure a consistent customer-experience with the brand. For example, in Acqua di Parma’s stores there is a room reserved for shaving (the Barber area), and Marrionaud often recruits beauticians for manicures. cosmetics represents a small sample, in recent years many brands have launched collections of products not tested on animals and without any substances of animal origin. An example is the American Kat Von D, aka Katherine von Drachenberg, who launched an eponymous line of vegan products including eye shadows, lipsticks, foundation and eyeliner. Among the best sellers is True Portrait Foundation, a liquid foundation without ingredients of animal origin, which has received many positive reviews from influencers and fashion bloggers since its launch in 2016. Starting

THE CHALLENGE OF RESPONSIBILITY

Consumers are more attentive today to the quality of the brand than in the past, so much so that a few years ago (also because of the increase in allergies) highend body creams and perfumes started being enriched with natural ingredients with healthier ingredients. According to the research Friendz, the primary purchase motivation for cosmetics is its promised result (23.8%) followed by the type of ingredients (21.5%). In addition, 31% of those evaluating the purchase based on ingredients said 27.9% try to avoid those

with harmful substances, 23.7%prefer cosmetics free of silicones and parabens, 14.4% choose natural cosmetics, and only 2.2% opt for organic or vegan ones. Although the preference for vegan in 2017, Kat Von D products have also been sold in Sephora stores. Along with innovation and quality, responsibility remains a value that never goes out of fashion.