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It was one of the segments that performed best last year, achieving an increase of 30% and, demonstrating how relevant cosmetics is for the entire business, Rinascente – which closed 2023 reaching one billion euros in revenues – dedicates a Beauty Fair to her, an event inaugurated on 6 February in Rome Tritone and Turin and from yesterday in Milan. A real fair with news, pop up stores and skincare, make-up and haircare treatments from various brands dedicated to customers. «The role of cosmetics in Rinascente is certainly important both in terms of turnover and traffic – explains Giuseppe D’Amato, buying & merchandising director of Rinascente -. The category is the one that presents the greatest margins for growth in the next five years also in relation to the activities we are implementing and the new segments and brands that are emerging from the market. It represents a strong customer attraction and the first point of entry to luxury brands.”
A sector, that of beauty, where competition, also from a retail point of view, is very strong. «Historically, our main competitors in the beauty sector have always been multi-brand cosmetics stores, with which we have shared brands and product launches – comments D’Amato -. To date, however, thanks to the program of experiential and entertainment activities that we are putting in place and the exclusivity of many products on the Italian market, we evaluate ours as a strong presence comparable to that of other international department stores”. And he adds: «The media company strategy that Rinascente has undertaken in recent years, in which business, entertainment, design, history, fashion and food coexist together, will also concern cosmetics, with an ever greater introduction of large thematic commercial operations, the creation of large events and special projects in collaboration with brand partners.”
All to attract more and more consumers. «Our clientele – says D’Amato – is very varied, spread across all age groups. We have a type of customer who is looking for more innovative products and therefore visits the Beauty Bar more, our beauty concept linked to the more “pop” brands, while another type of more consolidated customer is the one looking for the brand. Specifically, the axis of fragrances, especially niche ones, appears to be the most sought after and appreciated.”
There are numerous projects in the pipeline. «We continue along the line of creating clear and defined destinations that can facilitate the purchase by the customer – concludes D’Amato -. The most important actions are aimed at large operations, where we plan to hold two large events a year entirely dedicated to beauty and experiences to offer to customers. We are moving towards an ever-increasing customer involvement and entertainment proposal, where the brand’s regular counter will be ordinariness while real entertainment will be guaranteed through increasingly innovative and dynamic takeover and involvement activities such as beauty masterclasses, cabins, launches of exclusive products and brands.”