MILAN — Despite ongoing consumer funk, Italian perfumery chains are moving ahead in an effort to ignite interest at point of sale.
Mazzolari has drawn a line in the sand on discounting, Sephora is pressing on opening stores and Douglas continues to diversify into selective doors. The huge 368-door Limoni chain, based in Bologna, Italy, is opening 50 more doors this year, 20 of them in malls — a Limoni first. Meanwhile, rumors are circulating that the huge chain is being bought by a U.K. private equity group.
Echoing at least two other chains, Mazzolari executives signaled that they are drawing the line on discounting for specific luxury brands and products. “It is time for the Italian market to start working in a proper way and stop giving discounts,” said Antonella Mandelli, general manager of Mazzolari.
She also called upon the industry to abandon its habit of not giving new products a proper chance. “They can’t keep killing off products,” said Mandelli. “They have too high expectations.”
Augusto Mazzolari, the perfumery’s owner, asserted that the most successful brands know how to make innovative products and how to train sales staff to explain them to customers.
The executives were standing in the middle of a new expanded space adjacent to the flagship perfumery. The gallery was being used for an exhibition featuring a world of Chanel beauty.
Stefano Biagi, commercial director of Limoni, said consumption has decreased and “the market is in crisis. There is space if you are doing something different from independent, traditional perfumeries. They are going either super luxury or they are going niche.”
Sephora’s master plan in Italy is to convert 80 percent of the 99 perfumeries that the retailer, owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, had acquired to enter the market, said Laura Schiatti, director of marketing and buying for LVMH Italy. Her strategy is to wedge into the market using Sephora’s armada of exclusive brands and unusual merchandising concepts, including a smile bar and a brow bar. The retailer held a press open house featuring its new brands, including a number of American entries, such as GoSmile, Dr. Brandt, City Lips and Frédéric Fekkai.
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On the eve of Cosmoprof, Sephora unveiled its newest 2,000-square-foot store in a historic library in central Bologna.
Douglas also is in expansion mode. The perfumery chain is opening 18 stores in Italy this year, including a 3,000-square-foot one here in May. Douglas is also concentrating on a new niche concept store. Within 18 months, the perfumery chain will open up to 30 such stores around Europe.
“I think there is a need for luxury in the market,” said Jörg Mingers, Douglas’ general manager for southwestern Europe. “The consumer has been confused by discounting and the gray market. I think the consumer needs luxury because it gives them back a feeling of getting something special that is unique.”
On the other end of the spectrum is Il Profumo, which sports an array of esoteric niche brands in Milan’s trendy Brera neighborhood. “The demand for quality products is getting stronger,” said Guido Wetter, manager of the store.