Superdrug has announced the launch of 30 new ‘Beauty Playgrounds’ across the UK as it invests in more experiential features for its physical stores.
The first one has opened this week at London’s Westfield Stratford with the other 29 opening in Superdrug’s top destination stores by August, including prime locations like Manchester Trafford Centre, Glasgow Braehead and Cardiff St David’s.
The retailer said the Beauty Playground concept comes with the mission of “Beauty is our Duty” and “goes far beyond a traditional shopping experience, acting as a hub of beauty discovery, where people can explore must-have brands, access beauty services, receive expert advice, and create content while they shop”.
The launch also supports the acceleration of Superdrug’s O+O (Offline plus Online) strategy, “which aims to deliver a market-leading, integrated experience wherever and whenever customers choose to shop”.
So what will Beauty Playground customers find? The stores have ‘Try Me Tables’ where visitors can try out the products; interactive fixtures showing off new and exclusive brands; social stations complete with ring lights for people to create beauty content; and brand ambassadors offering personalised guidance and demonstrations.
The company is working with “a string of innovative new and exclusive brands”, including the mood-matching fragrance and bodycare brand Daise, award-winning natural skin and hair solutions brand Delihicious, and the Korean-inspired Smuuti that’s something 0f a Tik Tok hit.
Superdrug is clearly tapping into a trend for immersive pop-ups, concept stores and hybrid retail spaces that tend to be less permanent and more niche. But it’s taking it to a very wide audience. It said it “aims to meet ongoing customer desire with a retail experience that is permanently available and accessible to all areas of the country”.
Of course, the concept also builds on the success of the retailer’s annual beauty festival, Superdrug Presents.
CCO Simon Comins said: “The beauty shopper is crying out for immersive beauty experiences, but often they find that what they encounter is either temporary or not keeping pace with the latest innovations the industry has to offer.
“With Beauty Playground, we’re reimagining what a joyful and innovative beauty experience could and should be, whilst offering a space where customers can discover, learn, experiment, create, and connect with brands and services that meet their unique needs.”
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