Boots has opened a new concept store today at the Battersea Power Station development in London. The launch of the ‘Boots Beauty’ outlet is part of the retailer’s drive to transform its offering following the revamp of over 170 of its beauty halls during the last three years.
The new 11,200 sq. ft. store in Battersea features 250 beauty brands across skin care, cosmetics, body care, hair care and fragrance, offering “top-to-toe beauty solutions to suit all budgets”. This includes several new brands, such as R.E.M Beauty, Kerastase, Shu Uemura and Bubble, which will also be available from its online stores.
Boots is also making use of its authority in healthcare to offer a blend of health and beauty advice in the store. A Boots pharmacist with training in skin care will offer free consultations for customers with skin concerns, including acne, rosacea, eczema and psoriasis. Boots also plans to offer a private pharmacist prescribing service at the store in the near future for customers who need access to prescription-only medicines to treat certain skin conditions. And it plans to roll out specialist skin care training to more pharmacists in its stores across the UK.
Additionally, the Battersea store will have 35 Boots Beauty Specialists, who join the existing 1,000-strong ‘Beauty Crew’ already in its stores around the UK. For the first time, the Specialists can provide shoppers with a free Skin Scan service using a NEXA skin imaging tool for in-depth analysis, advice and brand-neutral product recommendations.
In another Boots first, the store will also offer Dermalux LED Light Treatment services, which uses light waves to accelerate natural skin regeneration and repair. Meanwhile, the retailer’s No7 brand will offer a range of services in the store, including a new Skin Solutions Service, which supports customers in managing their skin concerns via a series of free consultations.
“The new Boots Beauty store at Battersea Power Station provides a platform for us to test the latest brands and new service innovations before we introduce them to customers shopping in our stores across the country,” said Jenna Ward, Head of Beauty Reinvention at Boots.
“By combining Boots 175 years of pharmacy heritage with our market-leading beauty offering, we can offer accessible and holistic skin care expertise on the high street in a way that’s never been done before. The opening of this new store marks a major milestone in Boots transformation of beauty on the high street.”
Other new features in the store include a Hair Bar that offers a scalp analysis service for support with hair damage and thinning hair. There is also a new concept Fragrance Discovery Bar, with a refill station, interactive product display and a digital fragrance finder to help customers find their perfect scent.
Meanwhile, customers can attend masterclasses hosted by beauty brands, as well as a Beauty Bar delivering free express services from Boots Beauty Specialists.
NAM Implications:
- Boots are patently upping the specialist service level in this concept store…
- …and any aspects that measurably increase productivity, and the bottom line, will be rolled out nationally.
- All adding to Boots market value re a sale or refloat of the company.
- Meanwhile, gaining a competitive edge over rivals and independent pharmacies.
