Lookfantastic, a major player in beauty e-commerce, has taken a bold step into physical retail with the opening of its first permanent store in Altrincham. The store aims to offer a “customer-centric and experiential” shopping experience, building on the brand’s successful pop-up events in Manchester and London. But how effectively has Lookfantastic translated the lessons learned from those temporary spaces into its own flagship?
We visited the new store along with retail marketing expert, Valley, to assess how footfall was faring after launch and whether the new concept was truly delivering on its promise of an engaging experience and, more importantly, shopper satisfaction.
The importance of getting it right
Launching a successful physical retail space is no easy feat, especially when transitioning from an online-first business model. However, if you get it right, physical stores can provide shoppers with a unique and engaging experience, playing an important role in broadening audience and customer retention. In-store experiences allow customers to physically try products, a crucial step for many when it comes to new beauty purchases. The ability to feel textures, test fragrances, and trial the product in person provides an added value that an online experience simply can’t replicate.
Creating a buzz: in-store experience
During our visit the store had a lively atmosphere, with shoppers chatting with in-house experts and enjoying product demonstrations. Gen Alpha favourite, Drunk Elephant, had its education team on hand, interacting with customers and providing tutorials on its products; while social media teams were busy capturing content for Instagram and TikTok.
The in-store display execution was impressive, with each brand’s distinct identity brought to life through considered material choices and colour palettes. One of the busiest displays in the store was Elemis, designed and produced by Valley.
Strategically positioned next to the in-house Treatment Rooms, its location benefits from high footfall as customers await their treatments. The display was well shopped with staff commenting on high product sell on a number of bestselling lines.
The eye-catching Elemis display is a great example of how to successfully engage customers at point-of-sale, showcasing the brand’s luxury skincare ranges in a way that feels both inviting and informative. During our visit, shoppers were actively testing products and receiving personalised advice on how to use the skincare ranges from in-store advisors, adding real value to the shopper experience.
A surprisingly low-tech approach
In an era where virtual try-ons, augmented reality (AR), and AI-driven personalisation are becoming the norm in beauty retail, Lookfantastic’s decision to go with a low-tech approach in-store is intriguing. Given the huge potential for retailers to harness data from in-store visits and tech powered point-of-sale displays to enhance the omnichannel shopper journey, there was no sign of either consumer or retailer facing tools, which competitors are benefiting from.
Using new technology, such as Lidar, on in-store displays helps to capture valuable shopper insight, giving retailers an opportunity to shape a better shopping experience. After seeing success using this technology with SharkNinja, Valley can offer instant insight to brands and retailers on how shoppers are engaging with their displays.
Adopting this type of innovation could bridge the gap between Lookfantastic’s highly digital, data-driven online presence and its offline space.
Building customer loyalty
Since the pandemic, digital beauty sales have slowed, making customer loyalty more important than ever. By offering physical experiences through their own stores, retailers can provide a deeper level of brand engagement that isn’t possible online. Feedback from store staff is that personalised beauty services. like skincare consultations and expert advice, have proved popular with customers regularly queuing to receive bespoke recommendations.
A major highlight of the store is the world’s first Colour WOW salon. This dedicated area offers hair care and styling using Colour WOW products, adding another layer of exclusivity and service for customers. In-store beauty services like these create opportunities to build stronger customer relationships, increasing loyalty and giving shoppers more reasons to return.
Our view
The store is a great first step for Lookfantastic, highly visual and fun with a focus on intimate, personalised advice and in-store services. With a highly desirable mix of premium brands through to new contenders, the store offers the Altrincham audience an exciting new space to shop.
Given that the store is located near parent company The Hut Group’s (THG) headquarters, we were surprised to find areas of the store poorly stocked, or left completely empty. These gaps made the store feel unfinished and under optimised, which was disappointing given the build-up around the launch.
With a few operational tweaks, improved storytelling, and perhaps some integration of point-of-sale technology, Lookfantastic’s Altrincham store has the potential to be a real winner in the evolving world of beauty retail. It’s an excellent starting point, and we look forward to seeing how the retailer continues to evolve this exciting concept.
As an award winning expert in design, production and installation of retail display solutions, Valley excels in driving sales growth for global brands, creating memorable in-store experiences for shoppers.
