The beauty brand is unveiling its new "eco-designed and more connected" concept. Located in the Westfield shopping centre in La Défense, the shop is the first of 405 in France to adopt the new omnichannel strategy.
Marionnaud, a "sustainable" shop
Inaugurated in February, and after a month of works, the cosmetics retailer unveils its "new generation" concept in its historical shop at La Défense, in Puteaux (Hauts-de-Seine). "This outlet brings together all the pillars of our strategy by combining modernity, digitalization and eco-design in an omnichannel approach," says Gabriele Pellegrini, Marionnaud's French marketing director. A necessary facelift (the last concept dated from 2015) in a highly competitive and increasingly connected beauty sector. The average age of the brand's customers is between 40 and 50. "For the past two years, thanks to the arrival of new digital brands, both native and exclusive, we have been building loyalty among a younger clientele," says Gabriele Pellegrini.
The shop has two recycling bins for customers to bring in their empty beauty products (one for glass and one for other materials). We want to educate our customers in these eco-responsible gestures," says the marketing director. Through our loyalty programme, we offer immediate discounts of 20% when purchasing a product and points on the card." Since 2016,562 tonnes of glass and packaging have been recovered and recycled.
The eye. As part of the national energy saving plan, Marionnaud turns off lights and screens 30 minutes after the shop closes and only turns them on again 30 minutes before it opens.
A gift workshop
Marionnaud is known for its expertise in gift boxes," says Gabriele Pellegrini. We decided to build on this expertise by offering a differentiating service. A corner dedicated to personalisation has been created so that "each gift is unique, personal and special". Each customer can engrave his or her own perfume free of charge, personalise a ribbon, choose a bag and apply stickers to the packaging. The majority of Marionnaud's turnover continues to be generated by perfumes.
The eye. For the opening, the Yves Saint Laurent brand is inaugurating its own space, offering the personalisation of its perfume bottles. The brand animations will change according to the commercial highlights (Valentine's Day, Christmas...).
Enhanced omnichannelity
Covering an area of 271 square metres, the shop has been completely redesigned to be brighter and more natural using raw wood materials, "entirely made in France and recyclable". The cosmetics brand also highlights refillable fragrances, beyond the pioneering "Angel" by Thierry Mugler and its refill fountain, through a dedicated shelf. Omnichannelity is reflected in the presence of 15 secure lockers at the entrance of the shop to collect one's web order. Another new feature is that the sales assistants are equipped with a mobile payment system so that they can cash in customers anywhere in the store. The customer experience is enriched by new services such as the hair care area and the gift workshop.
At the entrance to the shop, 15 lockers have been installed for customers to pick up their online orders within an hour. This new system allows customers to collect their purchases without waiting, using an encrypted code or a QR code. "Since the health crisis, e-commerce has become even stronger," says Gabriele Pellegrini. The channel is said to account for "more than 15%" of turnover, but without specifying the exact range. The advisers offer "fast payment", equipped with a smartphone (designed by Zebra), they can collect payment by credit card, check the stock of a product, or order it.
The eye. Marionnaud has teamed up with the Lancel brand of leather goods to design a shoulder bag so that consultants can store their PDAs.
A redesigned treatment area for masterclasses
Located in the centre of the shop, the white and woodwork surface and the four chairs invite personal or group discussions. The care area can also accommodate small groups for masterclasses led by professionals from the beauty sector.
The eye. For the first time, Marionnaud is inaugurating a hair care area to carry out a hair care diagnosis in order to recommend a routine adapted to each type of hair and thus highlight its own product range.
Connected devices
The store has installed a self-service vending machine in its hair care area that delivers a trial dose of the hair care product of one's choice from a selection. Customers select the products that meet their skin's needs and put together the routine that suits them. In the perfumery sector, Marionnaud is offering a new "Paperscent" device where six selected perfumes are delivered on a card. In the form of embossing, the card -which you just have to pull out of the dispenser- contains the name of the tested perfume to make it easier to remember.
The eye. The customer has the possibility of creating her own customised skin care cream by carrying out a skin diagnosis with the help of a consultant. This service is already available in all outlets.