If the explosion of e-commerce has significantly revolutionized our lives, the shops are frowning. And for good reason, they have seen a sharp drop in traffic due to the convenience of online shopping. However, they have not yet said their last word and are finding ways to win back customers’ favours.
Doing your beauty shopping every day, at any time of the day or night, getting discounts and all this without having to wait in line: no doubt, e-commerce has undeniable advantages.
For all these reasons, point-of-sale attendance has fallen, leading to a loss of profitability for some brands.
Nevertheless, professionals in the sector have been working hard to reinvent the shopping experience.
Consulting and services
If there is one thing that distinguishes retail from online, it is human contact.
For a long time, many consumers fled from sales consultants with overly formatted sales discourse.
Today, in the age of hyper-personalization, in-store consulting has become a gold mine.
Many brands offer sessions (sometimes subject to reservation) where it is possible to meet with a representative of the brand in order to have a tailor-made skin diagnosis, informed recommendations on its problems and test suitable cosmetics.
This is the case, for example, in Khiel’s where each customer is received, listened to, advised and left with a sample of products without being pushed to make the purchase.
Clarins goes even further and offers beauty services in some of its points of sale without appointment and without conditions of purchase.
Customers will have the choice to enjoy:
• a demonstration (with the right gestures) of a beauty ritual on the forearm,
• manual consultation and analysis of the skin
• a demonstration of the appropriate beauty ritual on the face,
• Care coaching to learn how to apply your routine properly
• a small make-up session (5 or 15 minutes).
However, it is worth mentioning that in the event of a crowd in the shop, care in the cabin is a priority!
A great customer experience
To convince consumers to get off the couch, the game must be worth it and the brands have understood this. It is thanks to digital technology that they are able to (re)enchant their customers.
Sephora is a master in the art of revolutionizing its purchasing process.
Some shops are equipped with digital lookbooks to create a beauty program or test make-up on connected mirrors to find the perfect shade.
The brand has also developed an application with Pantone to help determine the perfect foundation shade.
In a way, the purpose of a successful purchase journey is to offer an exceptional product for sale, available only in stores.
This is precisely what Lancôme offers with its foundation “the special complexion”. The promise? A product that perfectly matches the complexion of each customer.
Led by a brand advisor, the consultation begins with a scan of the skin with a patented probe. The recovered data are used to develop the ideal foundation, produced on site in twenty minutes.
Lancôme promises nearly 72,000 different combinations, enough to find what you are looking for.
Of course, this little snobbery is only possible in the shop, a good reason to travel.
Hype products, innovative technologies, tailor-made services, beauty brands are ready to do anything to convince consumers to come and see them in stores.
How far will they go to court their customers? The future will tell us. One thing is certain, the consumer is more than ever the king!
