DALLAS — Natura Bissé is introducing a Spanish touch at NorthPark Center.
The Barcelona-based beauty company has just opened Destino Barcelona Spa at Neiman Marcus here, hoping to replicate the success it has seen with the concept at Manhattan’s Bergdorf Goodman, which is also part of Neiman Marcus Group. The NorthPark unit here follows a similar spa that opened in September at Neiman’s in San Francisco.
Named for the city Natura Bissé calls home, Destino Barcelona is unusual because all its services are free. The idea is to lure new customers and inspire existing ones to buy more of the company’s high-end treatment products. Customers need only make an appointment to secure one of several facial or body treatments, including an exfoliating body massage. There’s no minimum purchase.
“Bergdorf was amazing,” said Veronica Fisas, chief executive officer of Natura Bissé U.S.A. in Irving, Tex., and daughter of company founder Ricardo Fisas. “We used to have a counter that did $300,000, and in two years we are over $1 million.”
The spa at Neiman’s could double Natura’s annual sales there from a base of $800,000 within two years, Fisas postulated.
“Natura Bissé has always been a favorite among our clientele,” said Malcolm Reuben, vice president and general manager of Neiman’s NorthPark. “We are pleased to open Destino Barcelona at NorthPark and offer our customers the opportunity to experience this amazing line, including several exclusive facial and body treatments.”
The 190-square-foot room is located at the rear of cosmetics on the first floor. It’s decorated in soothing neutral tones of ecru and cream. Bergdorf has two smaller rooms of 60 square feet and 70 square feet, respectively.
Fisas is exploring expanding Destino Barcelona to Japan, Lane Crawford in Hong Kong, and either Qatar or Dubai in the Middle East. Natura Bissé has a year-old spa at the Monterrey branch of El Palacio de Hierro, a high-end Mexican department store chain.
The company began testing free treatments 10 years ago at Neiman’s in Houston, using the store’s own facial rooms. It was a useful tool to introduce the extensive line, which had previously been sold only through spas abroad.
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“We knew that it was important for us to give these facials to show how to use the product,” Fisas said. “It’s an expensive line that has a lot of options, and the clients have to feel secure and comfortable. They can play with the options and learn how to change their regime in various seasons.”
Neiman’s carries about 75 Natura Bissé products, and the entire line spans nearly 300 products. Most of the company’s treatments are priced from $80 to $200, while the Diamond and Inhibit collections are $200 to $675.