Situation
Duty-free stores in airports around the world offer travellers a wide range of shopping options – including the beauty category, which covers perfumes, skincare and make-up. The beauty market is evolving rapidly, driven by new brands and global trends. At the same time, customers today can easily compare prices across retailers online. As a result, duty-free stores can no longer differentiate themselves from competitors on price to the same extent as before. This has created a need to rethink the store’s relevance, attractiveness and positioning within the beauty category.
Complication
Although duty-free stores have traditionally been associated with the excitement of travel and a sense of indulgence – and beauty and personal care have generally grown in popularity in recent years – this particular store had not experienced the same increase in interest. On the contrary, its penetration within the beauty category had declined. To strengthen its position, the store needed a deeper understanding of its customers’ beauty-related behaviours, their preferences for products and brands, and how the concept could become more inspiring and valuable for travellers.
Recommendation
Through several focus groups with beauty-interested airport passengers, Epinion collected and analysed insights related to the store’s physical environment, the product assortment within the beauty category, staff competencies, and the experiential elements of the store. The study showed, among other things, that customers have clear preferences regarding everything from store layout to product selection; that different types of beauty products require different sales approaches; and that the duty-free store can leverage its unique location in the airport to create a truly distinctive shopping experience.
