Hong Kong
In-Store Experiences
In-Store Experiences
Branded In-Store Environments
Since our founding, selective distribution has been a hallmark of our strategy. Every touch point — from department stores and specialty stores to beauty salons, perfumeries and freestanding stores — is designed to inspire and delight our consumers.
Pampering consumers with our unique in-store services, and offering them valuable “me" time — a respite from their daily routines — draws them to our brands and distinguishes us from competitors. “Me" time can mean discovering the proper skin care regimen at a Clinique counter or experiencing a luxurious crème for the first time at a La Mer counter. It might include stopping by an Origins store for a complimentary mini facial or creating a custom fragrance gift box with a Jo Malone London stylist.
We have expanded our storytelling capabilities in specialty multibrand retailers and department stores, as well as our brand-enhancing strategies within freestanding stores, helping us build consumer appeal everywhere people seek our products around the world.
The in-store experience has evolved since the 1990s, when the Origins brand, led by William P. Lauder, created freestanding stores as a channel alternative to traditional department stores. M·A·C also developed a network of freestanding stores in the mid-1990s that allowed for the fullest expression of the brand's essence. These first forays into retail were the predecessors to the Company’s more direct-to-consumer relationships.
View key moments in the Company’s retail history Click Here
Estée Lauder insists on selling her products only in the finest stores. She opens the Company’s first-ever freestanding store in Budapest in 1989, honoring her mother’s birth country.
Freestanding Stores
Designing and owning the entire in-store experience enables us to express our brands’ equity in the most meaningful ways, establishing a stronger and more direct connection with consumers. As we explore opportunities to open freestanding stores, we consider both the character of the region and the personality of the brand.
For example, part of Aveda’s expansion in Japan was through innovative microstores, which are approximately 425 square feet. The microstores allowed Aveda to select prestigious, high-traffic locations where space was constrained.
While more than 30 Bobbi Brown Cosmetics stores maintain a consistent design theme, each one is subtly tailored to the local market. In the United Arab Emirates, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics store windows are customized with sentiments such as “Bobbi Loves Dubai,” while a store in Russia features a fireplace to warm consumers.
M·A·C’s first-ever youth concept store in Orlando, Florida, became one of the brand’s top five brick-and-mortar stores globally. It features a product play table and a youthful design.
