NEW YORK — In its quest to stand out from the competition, last year Walgreens added an exclusive beauty line from Sweden in all of its 5,100 stores called IsaDora.
Yesterday, Walgreens and IsaDora packed more punch for the line with the announcement that makeup artist Brigitte Reiss-Andersen will serve as creative director and spokesperson. Known for her work with celebrities including Michelle Pfeiffer and Courteney Cox, she will act as a spokesperson and press conduit, as well as an expert on formulations and application. In addition to distribution in Walgreens, IsaDora is a leading brand in Europe, sold in 40 countries mostly via department or specialty stores. There is also a stand-alone store in Moscow.
Walgreens first tested IsaDora in select stores in Texas before a full chain rollout last year. IsaDora nets prime retail space on Walgreens’ cosmetics wall — trumping nationally supported labels such as Revlon and L’Oréal. Industry sources estimate the brand could end 2006 with sales of $10 million. Currently, there are 350 items in the line.
“We’re thrilled with the results we’ve received from IsaDora. The merchandise gives us more opportunity to serve our beauty customers with an internationally well-known brand of cosmetics at absolutely amazing prices,” said Kathy Steirly, beauty divisional merchandise manager for Walgreens. “The brand delivers the quality they love at values they appreciate.”
IsaDora executives agree that it has performed beyond expectations. “We’ve earned our place in their stores,” said Ingrid-Marie Johansson, of Invima of Malmo, IsaDora’s parent. The time was right for expansion into the U.S., she said, because of the sheer size of the market.
She added that although IsaDora is from Sweden, the colors within the line are appropriate for women of all complexions. In fact, for the U.S. launch, IsaDora overhauled its entire color collection to meet the shade needs of the diverse American population. The products are also hypoallergenic, fragrance-free and not tested on animals.
Walgreens isn’t the only American chain luring nameplates from Europe. CVS has had success with Finland’s Lumene, which also has a makeup artist, named Kyriaki, on staff. Target, in addition to its internally created Sonia Kashuk brand, is experimenting with imports such as the Agatha fragrance. CVS and Target are both still engaged in tests of Boots products.
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“Retailers are looking for ways to differentiate themselves,” said Allan Mottus, beauty industry analyst and management consultant. “It is hard to do it with unknown names, but you can do it if you build upon it.”
What Walgreens hopes it has going for it is its powerhouse team of beauty advisers who have been trained by IsaDora staff. Since IsaDora is positioned as a fashion-forward line — five seasonal color breaks will be launched yearly — the presence of the sales help could make a big difference in IsaDora’s sell-through. Other promotional efforts behind IsaDora include in-store radio advertising and spots in most Walgreens’ circulars.
IsaDora also had to alter its displays to accommodate the lack of testers in America. The fixture in Walgreens was created especially for the U.S. At this point, IsaDora is only set for growth within Walgreens. “We are happy with our partnership and we share the same core philosophies,” said Johansson.
However, IsaDora executives do plan to expand the range of products to include more skin, sun and holiday fragrance sets.
At yesterday’s press event, the company announced six new product categories as well as new summer colors. The new items are a Brush-On Gloss, a Cream Intensive Lipstick, a lip balm with vitamins called Lip Treat, Lip Treat Color, Mega Mascara Lengthening and a Gentle Eye Makeup-Up Remover. Prices range from $3.99 for the remover milk to $11.99 for the Mega Mascara.
Two summer color promotions will bow in May. The first is called The Malibu Color Collection, inspired by the hues of the Pacific Ocean, such as turquoise, warm orange and coral. There is a limited-edition bronzer and highlighting powder in one called Sun Glow Powder, as well as lipsticks, gloss, eye shadows, mascara and a kajal within the lineup.
The other seasonal collection is called Terracotta Glow Collection designed to enhance summertime beauty. The shimmering makeup colors impart a freshly tanned look and include gloss, lip color, blush, bronzing powder and a powder brush. Prices range from $7.99 for the brush to $12.99 for a Duo Blush.
The jury is still out on the consumer pulling power of both private labels and imported exclusive brands. But, Walgreens is putting significant space and manpower behind IsaDora. “We are a destination for beauty. Our customers like to stay ahead of the curve and IsaDora offers trendsetting products. We want our customers to look like a million bucks while still being budget savvy,” concluded Walgreens’ spokeswoman Tiffani Bruce.