PARIS — Elizabeth Arden is pushing deeper into the French retail scene with its first temporary freestanding boutique here.
The 890-square-foot location nestled in the heart of the 16th arrondissement, at 53 Rue de Passy, is set to make its bow Wednesday and remain open through Dec. 31.
Axel Lecomte, country manager for France at Elizabeth Arden, said while the label is satisfied with its current domestic selective distribution, in chains such as Sephora, Marionnaud and Nocibé, “it is difficult to have at the same time a complete expression of the brand and a large product offer.”
Today Elizabeth Arden does not have a media presence in France, either, so a store could bolster the label’s visibility.
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“Our strategy is to continue working in concert with retailers, of course, in close collaboration,” Lecomte told WWD.
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Concurrently, Elizabeth Arden will present a full catalog in its new location. Elsewhere in France, the brand has an abbreviated offering with a primary presence in skin care — particularly with its Eight Hour Cream — making it possible to shop more than 400 references, of which 250 units are makeup, 100 skin care and the balance being fragrance. The lineup is to include coffrets and miniatures, too.
The Paris shop’s design differs from that of Elizabeth Arden’s Red Door Spas and the other pop-ups it has opened in the past for brief periods in Italy, Singapore and Israel. Reminiscent of a New York loft, the streamlined decor is meant to be more in keeping with the new image and communication platform that Elizabeth Arden launched in July with Karlina Caune as its face and to give a more personal experience than a traditional store, explained Lecomte.
“The boutique project is strategic for the group,” he said, adding it’s key for Elizabeth Arden to have a stronger presence in France, the beauty industry’s fourth-largest market, where the label is underrepresented.
Elizabeth Arden could, in the future, introduce temporary boutiques referencing the Paris model in other countries.
The brand’s business in France has been on an upward trajectory over the past couple of years. Most recently it has been boosted by sales in Sephora’s Champs-Élysées flagship that multiplied by five since the exclusive countrywide relaunch in April of the Ceramide skin-care line that’s also sold through Sephora.fr.
Year-to-date through August, Elizabeth Arden’s overall skin-care activity’s sell-out was up 5 percent to 6 percent versus the same period in 2014.
If the new Paris boutique lives up to expectations, the brand might replicate it again with one or two other freestanding temporary boutiques elsewhere in the City of Light.
Meanwhile, the label is taking to street marketing and creating partnerships with nearby establishments to help create buzz about the new Paris shop.
“It’s very precise targeting,” Lecomte said. “Since it’s one boutique, there must be a neighborhood approach.”