A retail review of the best beauty shopping experiences and products from London, Paris and New York at Christmas 2014. Includes Bobbi Brown, Bare Minerals, Birchbox, Burberry, Sephora and more.

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©CopyrightTrueStory.January2015OnceUponAChristmas
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The fashion retailer has created dedicated space
in-store for its beauty offer, which felt stylishly
simple, yet aspirational.
The pastel palette gave a relaxed, calming atmosphere to this
room within a store
We loved the simplicity of the merchandising – bulldog clips,
lollipop stick nail colour swatches, and tiny wooden POS
holders for both testers and motivational quotes
Mobile trolleys allowed the store to mix up merchandising
while providing a salon-esque mood
Own-brand packaging was incredibly simple, with highlights
of branded ribbon on gift packs

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bare minerals
Bare by name, bare by nature, this pared-back
store could easily be mistaken for a make-up
studio rather than a shop, but we liked it all the
more for that.
The brand has limited skus, which allowed the store to hero
display the entire range in a simple way
One side of the room focused on categories, e.g. lips and
eyes, whereas the other was defined by skin type, e.g. fair and
dark, to appeal to customers in different shopping modes
A simple relaxation area invited customers to linger and
interact with staff
A giant feature wall showcased customers and looks they had
created. This was replicated online and enhanced by quotes
from the customers

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©CopyrightTrueStory.January2015OnceUponAChristmas
birchbox
This online retailer of subscription-only beauty
boxes has embraced bricks-and-mortar with
an ultra-modern, pared-back approach.
Customers could buy just one box, themed by hair, face etc,
encouraging trial and providing the e-tailer with valuable data
for remarketing
A modern, fresh colour palette and graphic approach felt
contemporary. Merchandising furniture gave the feel of
a studio or salon
Editorial cues abounded in language – a ‘Top 10’ in a bold
display, plus ‘This month’s box’ as a hero feature for the
subscription service
Tutorial POS gave an expert and reassuring feel for customers
who may not be familiar with the brand

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bobbi brown
Strong merchandising and graphics made
Bobbi Brown a favourite for us this year.
We loved the graphic walls behind the till-points – these
differed in each store we visited, but whatever the theme,
they were a real focal point
Although gifting language was used in places –
“ready, set, give” – expertise was the lead message both
in the window and in-store, with a huge focus on make-up
lessons. This was supported online with the ability to Live
Chat with a make-up artist
We loved the illuminated merchandisers and mirrors,
particularly Bobbi’s Best Sellers stand, which showcased six
products and compelled customers to pick up. Own-brand
packaging was incredibly simple, with highlights
of branded ribbon on gift packs
Mini beauty sets were encased in gorgeous tortoiseshell
or crocodile print hard casings and displayed in opulent red
and black merchandisers – difficult to miss and impossible
to resist

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©CopyrightTrueStory.January2015OnceUponAChristmas
burberry
Based in Covent Garden (fast-becoming London’s
new beauty retail hub), Burberry’s dedicated
beauty boutique was dressed to impress.
Captivating digital windows replicated the Burberry check,
animated with glitter and a flurry of sparkle
The iconic check was seen throughout – from the bright
pink ribbon windows, through to the fine imprint detail in the
packaging and even the make-up itself
Gentle nods to Christmas were found throughout the store,
emulating the overall Burberry Christmas theme, e.g. small
statues wearing Burberry scarves
Upstairs there was a whole floor dedicated to personalisation,
mixing beauty, fragrance and fashion in bespoke gift sets. This
included monogramming of a My Burberry perfume bottle
To test fragrance, it was spritzed onto a gold ribbon and tied
around the wrist – a memorable touch even after leaving store
We loved the nail varnish colour tester: Place 6 colours on
a platform above a digital screen; the software ‘reads’ the
colour; customers choose a skin tone and then the screen
shows how the colour would look on your hand

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©CopyrightTrueStory.January2015OnceUponAChristmas
kiehl’s
A riot of colour and graphics, there was no missing
Kiehl’s artistic collaboration this Christmas.
The campaign strapline was ‘A World of Giving’, but
subsequent copy encouraged starting your Christmas
shopping with a treat for yourself
Central to the theme was a collaboration with artists
Craig & Carl – one American, one British – with cues to both
cultures peppered throughout, e.g. freestanding graphics
of the Statue of Liberty torch
The graphic pop art extended across the experience, from a
colouring board for customers through to product packaging
Edited choice – a product wall of ‘Kiehl’s Favourites’ was
a big feature
The brand also extended its reach with a pop-up store
in New York’s Time Square, which continued the bright
and bold theme

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molton brown
Tactile merchandising with pops of neon
colour and interesting festive gifting products
made Molton Brown a go-to beauty
destination this year.
Top-to-bottom tiled walls with lit recesses and a focal sink
area gave the impression of a pampering bathroom
Muted, tactile colours and merchandising inspired by nature,
e.g. chopped logs as plinths, were complemented with pops
of neon colour to lift the mood and catch the eye
Baubles were a key theme throughout – both in terms of
in-store treatment, where they hung from branches and were
filled with ingredients, through to bauble-shaped handwashes
packaged in crackers
However, the subtly of the Christmas campaign language
meant the whole store felt like a stylised, understated nod to
the season
Oversized header graphics were given a 3D feel for a sense
of movement in the store
Traditional pre-packed gift sets featured heavily, but bespoke
gifts could be created with mix & match minis

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©CopyrightTrueStory.January2015OnceUponAChristmas
sephora 1
Dramatic imagery, inventive merchandising
and perfect pick-me-up gifts all served to make
Sephora a place for beauty lovers to explore,
and importantly buy from, this Christmas.
While the store had a definite Christmas theme, it was very
much in keeping with the overall brand look and feel, giving the
impression that Sephora definitely know what works for them
and their customers
The overall Christmas campaign was called ‘Gift It, Get It’ –
however, we noticed different treatments per city – Paris had
a slightly surreal mermaid theme, while the US took a more
traditional approach to Christmas with bows
Flat, illustrative graphics were made 3D on key headers, using
slot-together cardboard for a simple, yet effective solution
The store used oversized permanent fixtures to create
specific zoning, for example Beauty Studio and Nail Studio,
but also broke up the store further with smaller pop-up
gifting fixtures
An events calendar was at the store entrance, highlighting
technique masterclasses, such as evening smoky eyes

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sephora 2
Emotive language, contemporary, playful imagery
and artful interruptions made for a theatrical store
that held customers’ interest.
Simple, emotive language intertwined with illustrative beauty
cues, e.g. eyelashes, pouting lips and toiletry pump dispensers
Christmas gifting was heroed within the main fixtures,
providing an interesting break to the run of product and an
instant switch of shopping mode
In-store theatre came via curved ceiling lighting and digital
screens, creating bespoke areas that moved customers
through the store
We loved the vinyl used on the Nail Studio – dripping paint and
splatters on the floor – so simple, but imaginative
Value featured strongly at the front of the store, drawing
the customer in
We also saw a Foundation Matching technology that
we hadn’t previously seen from Sephora

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sephora 3
Innovative sample sizes and merchandisers
that encouraged impulse buys made purchasing
difficult to resist.
Recessed lighting and pigeon-hole sized merchandisers
invited customers to rummage and explore product
Technology helped customers experiment – nail colour is
painted onto acetate and then overlaid on hands to test a
colour without affecting customers’ current colour
Till points featured minis from aspirational brands for great
value trial, e.g. a sample-sized SmashBox palette for $20
was available – it felt like this was a point of difference
to other retailers
We found a host of enticing product ideas. Two of our
favourites were: a paint tin full of snap-top, single application
nail polishes application and a Tory Birch rollerball fragrance
in a cracker, plus sweet touches such as a foiled cut-out lip
gift tag on a lipstick
Gifting was encouraged with free gift packaging – boxes,
pouches and bags for added reward. Out-of-store, key gifting
messages were promoted with the hint, hint app

12. If you’d like to know more about anything in this report, or you’d like to request
a copy of our ‘Once Upon A Christmas’ complete retail review, please contact...
Jayne Mayled jayne.mayled@truestory.uk.com
Carrie Eames carrie.eames@truestory.uk.com
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©CopyrightTrueStory.January2015OnceUponAChristmas
best of beauty

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