department stores are rethinking their spaces according to IADS

Since the Coronavirus pandemic, cosmetics brands have been communicating more and more directly with their customers, who are now more inclined to turn to new entrants, and department stores are rethinking their spaces dedicated to beauty, according to the International Association of Department Stores (IADS), which brings together twelve chains around the world.

On the agenda: more niche perfumeries, a growing segment, more make-up, but also more well-being. All accompanied by loyalty programmes and a stronger presence on social networks.

Between 2021 and 2022, the cosmetics and beauty category will see average growth of 1% for IADS members, approaching its pre-pandemic level. For department stores, fragrance remains the leading category, accounting for an average 36% of beauty sales. These sales are driven by niche fragrances. La Samaritaine, for example, which is not a member of IADS, recently unveiled an area entirely dedicated to them.

According to IADS members, the most popular high-end perfume brands are Creed, recently acquired by Kering, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Jo Malone, Byredo, By Kilian, Les Eaux Primordiales, Ex Nihilo, Mancera and Le Labo.

Representing 20% of sales by 2022, make-up, which was shunned during Covid and the lockdowns, is making a comeback, with brands such as M.A.C, owned by Estée Lauder Group, coming back into favour. However, the segment is still below pre-pandemic levels, so the addition of new or exclusive brands to the make-up offer appears to be an asset for department stores.

IADS partner Nelly Rodi names Isamay Beauty and France’s Eclo as emerging make-up brands. In skincare, Haeckels, Earth Library and Herbar are all mentioned. In fact, skincare accounted for an average of 34% of sales between 2020 and 2022.

Their growth has been fuelled by demand for products linked to well-being and “clean beauty”. New spaces have been created, such as the Wellness Galerie at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann.

IADS also stresses that we must not overlook the expansion of the wellness offer to new segments such as sexual wellness, which “represents a promising category at Galeries Lafayette with brands such as Womanizer and My Lubie, which should be deployed in several shops,” says the association. So-called technological beauty, with brands such as Foreo, is also set for strong growth.  

Finally, IADS stresses that building a customer base is essential in the beauty sector in order to compete with selective brands such as Sephora. The creation of social network accounts dedicated to beauty is also an integral part of the strategy for winning and retaining customers.

“El Palacio de Hierro has an Instagram account dedicated to beauty: posts on this account really support sales, and brands are interested in partnerships. What’s more, TikTok has become a must-have: Manor and Galeries Lafayette have recently launched their accounts and have found that posts about beauty attract a significant number of customers and boost sales,” concludes IADS.