YSL Beauty, Estée Lauder, La Mer, etc.

Milan — Italian department store Rinascente has stepped up its commitment to beauty by launching an initiative called Beauty Fair.

The project, which runs until March 11, will feature both established and independent brands across the makeup, skincare and fragrance categories hosting pop-ups to showcase their latest collections, limited edition or customizable products. In addition, there will be in-store experiences, free treatments, and master classes for customers.

This format was introduced at Rinascente’s Milan flagship store, Roma Tritone store and Turin store.

In Milan, it was installed on the 6th floor, traditionally dedicated to the Home Collection, thus temporarily adding another beauty space to the existing presence on the ground floor and the beauty bar area of ​​the adjoining annex shop.

“The main goal was to attract a large number of local customers and offer them additional content and a different level of experience,” Rinascente’s buying and merchandising director Giuseppe D’Amato said on Tuesday. he said.

“At first, we launched a project related to the domestic world.” [in this space] But since last year, we’ve been experimenting with product categories that don’t normally appear here,” he added.

It was a natural progression to bet on beauty, as sales in this category are gaining momentum across our network of nine retail locations in Italy. Last year, Rinascente reported sales of €1 billion, an increase of 16% compared to 2022 and a 14% increase compared to 2019, which was a record year. Sales increased across all product categories, with a particular emphasis on luxury accessories and beauty products, which increased by 28%. 30% each.

“In this store, beauty product sales account for more than 12% of total revenue, and we expect this figure to increase even more,” D’Amato said of Rinascente’s flagship store in Milan, a high-end unit. Told. It is strategically located overlooking the city’s Duomo Cathedral.

“This is one of our flagship stores, followed by Roma Tritone, but all of our stores are reporting growth, with beauty sales in particular increasing by double digits across all of our stores. has reached a level of offering that is very interesting and very unique in Italy, both in terms of the brand’s catalog and its exclusivity,” said D’Amato.

At the Beauty Fair project in Milan, one of the largest pop-ups was set up by YSL Beauty, which, in addition to displaying makeup and fragrance products, set up the country’s first innovation lab focused on technological devices. Ta.

Estée Lauder, La Mer, and Bobbi Brown all have stage booths with plenty of cabins for skin care treatments and makeup stations. By booking on Rinascente’s website, customers can receive complimentary services and beauty consultations. These include master class sessions to learn about products and skin care techniques from Estée Lauder experts. Includes a unique treatment focused on cellular rejuvenation based on Crème de la Mer moisturizing cream and a complimentary seasonal color analysis session with Bobbi Brown makeup artist.

The Shiseido booth, decked out in vibrant red tones, also offered custom makeup sessions and skin analysis for those who booked online. Acqua di Parma, on the other hand, was betting big on personalization, offering special engravings on fragrance bottles, embroidery on the brand’s home collection, custom decorations on product packaging, and more.

In the niche sector, Amuge set up a pop-up to celebrate its 40th anniversary, and also showcased perfumes named ‘Dear’ and ‘Jubilation’, which were launched to commemorate this milestone. On the experiential side, a series of events dubbed ‘Meet the Brand’ will be held for customers to learn more about the brand and the ingredients behind its formulations.

Amuge is distributed in Italy by Olfattorio, whose relationship with Rinascente dates back to 2011 and currently showcases artisanal fragrances from Calon, Goutal, BDK Parfums, Acro, Maison Crivelli, Ellis Firth and more It is further enhanced with a bar a parfum. some.

Spanish beauty brand Natura Bissé is one of the brands making its debut in Italy as part of Rinascente’s exclusive brand. On either side of the counter are eye-catching inflatable “bubbles” that act as cabins for beauty treatments.

D’Amato said the experiential aspect of the initiative is a key driver, as all slots are “already booked for the rest of this month, and most brands even have waiting lists to access these slots.” He said it has been proven.

“Therefore, in the future we would like to further strengthen our role as a content box. Counters with products and exclusive items will be installed, but we will also continue to serve both existing and new customers. But I also feel a responsibility to offer something more, whether it’s an experience or discovering a new label,” D’Amato said.

“We believe our future is definitely related to this side of entertainment and will continue our overall strategy as a media company, giving brands more space to express themselves.” he continued. “Our goal is to launch at least two multi-category projects per year, as well as monthly single-brand acquisitions,” D’Amato said, pointing to Rinascente’s recent activity for the holiday season as an example. pointed out. As reported, on this occasion the Milan flagship will host the Chanel Wonderland concept, the most extensive ever undertaken by the retailer, spanning floors, shop windows, facades and arcades. It was a major acquisition.

The company also continues to scout independent beauty brands, particularly with its Beauty Fair format set up in its Roma Tritone and Turin units.

In Rome, this initiative has been installed on the basement floor, with a multi-brand space showcasing Barberino, Espresso, GHD, Paula’s Choice, etc., as well as corners for companies such as Appel Skin, Etherea, Frères, Manucurist, and Sobea. There are many. Olaplex, Nabla, Alkemy, Bigoodino and Coistel Beauty are among his brands that are featured in the Turin store.

“But more than just location-based, our scouting process is generational,” D’Amato said. “We’re very consistent when it comes to established names and limited editions. When it comes to emerging brands, we rely on what happens online, whether it’s something that’s launched by a local celebrity. The names are emerging because they offer content and values ​​that capture the attention of a new generation, such as sustainability.

“For this reason, we launched a beauty bar here in our annex and then rolled it out to all our other stores… because the customer response was immediate and very strong. Initially, it was primarily Gen Z. “It was highly acclaimed by many people, but now it has captivated the entire beauty industry,” he concluded.