L’Oréal Travel Retail has launched its Armani Box pop-up in Europe travel retail, at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport Terminal 2E (S4). The Moodie Davitt Report travelled to Paris last week to discover the activation.
The 25sq m pop-up, which targets Asian and French travellers, is in partnership with Lagardère Travel Retail and its Société de Distribution Aéroportuaire (SDA) joint venture with Groupe ADP.
The animation, which made its travel retail debut at Hong Kong International Airport in January, opened on 1 March and will be in situ for two months. Next month the Armani Box will open at China Duty Free Group’s Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex at Haitang Bay.
A key feature of the Armani Box is a red gorilla statue named Uri. The gorilla, created by Italian artist Marcantonio Raimondi Malerba, is a replica of the one found in Giorgio Armani’s home in Milan. Uri features on a limited-edition Lip Maestro lipstick and Armani Box tote bags, available exclusively at the pop-up.
Armani Box aims to immerse travellers in the brand’s make-up universe through sensorial and playful elements. Armani Face Designers are on-hand to give make-overs and educate travellers about the brand’s complexion range and lip collection, including Lip Maestro and Lip Magnet. Travellers can purchase the limited-edition Rouge d’Armani shade #501 Milano and a shade called Uri at the pop-up.
The pop-up store’s digital elements include a Connected Mirror, which shows customers how to apply their make-up, and a photo booth. Both static images and gifs can be taken, with Uri in the background, then e-mailed to visitors.
Speaking to The Moodie Davitt Report at last week’s event, Société de Distribution Aeroportuaire (SDA) Director General & CEO Guy Bodescot said although the promotional space is small, it summarises SDA’s strategy well. “The pop-up really helps us to make sure the customer has a positive airport experience and leaves them thinking ‘wow’.
“We are very, very happy with initial sales results from the pop-up” – SDA Director General & CEO Guy Bodescot
“The challenge for all of our sales assistants is to make sure that our passengers experience the good side of travelling, this includes positive emotions, memories of Paris, love, culture etc. The experience can easily fall on the wrong side of the edge if travellers experience bad service combined with crowds everywhere and the stress of travelling.”
Bodescot noted the significance of the animation honing in on Armani’s make-up products. “Beauty, in particular make-up, is a fast-growing category and is increasingly popular among French and Asian customers. We are very, very happy with initial sales results from the pop-up.
“Armani beauty products don’t really need this level of exposure to promote them as they are already doing extremely well but the pop-up is helping a great deal.”
Lagardère Travel Retail Executive Vice President Purchasing Duty Free Global Sabine Fagan described the Armani Box as the ‘next level’ in activations. “It [the Armani Box] stops travellers and creates a ‘wow’ effect and surprise,” she said.
“Our requirements are quite high for this space because it’s one which always has a lot of interaction with customers. This is why we’re asking for customisation and exclusive offers, we want to have a story to tell and the space needs to be interactive.”
According to Fagan, the pop-up has already exceeded the first month’s sales targets. “Since the pop-up started Armani has gained four rankings in make-up and the Armani Sì fragrance line is now in the top ten best-selling in Paris airports (CDG and Orly). The performance of the brand since the beginning of the year has been amazing. It’s Armani’s year.”
Fagan added: “Not all pop-ups are successful but when they are eye-catching and have good service it makes a big difference. Execution is important, as is service and interaction. It has to bring something extra because customers are blasé and stressed when travelling. L’Oréal Luxe are also very flexible to work with which makes a huge difference.”
Giorgio Armani Beauty Global President Véronique Gautier emphasised the pop-up’s importance in recruiting new customers. “Armani Beauty products are distributed in very few countries and we only have 1,500 POS [domestic and travel retail] which is not a lot. Now we are accelerating in beauty and have a big roll-out planned.
“It’s really the moment for Armani make-up” – Giorgio Armani Beauty Global President Véronique Gautier
“This Armani Box is our tool to drive that acceleration and push our identity because our DNA in beauty is powerful, it’s professional and designer and we believe a lot in that.”
Regarding Armani Beauty sales at the Charles de Gaulle Terminal 2E store, Gautier noted that the split is 60% fragrances and 40% beauty. “We have a much more selective distribution on make-up so have a much smaller share in beauty today. But with the strong dynamic we have on the sell-out and with amazing products like the Armani Cushion we’re doubling our number of doors for make-up in Europe, Middle East, Africa & India travel retail, from 55 to 110 this year.
“In travel retail worldwide, that number will grow from 92 to 233.”
Gautier concluded: “It’s really the moment for Armani make-up and it’s an overall alignment of the brand being iconic; we are also refitting our stores with the red design to reflect elegance and modernity.”
L’Oréal Travel Retail Managing Director Vincent Boinay described the Armani Box as the “perfect cocktail of surprise, seduction and service”.
“Animations such as the Armani pop-up represent thinking outside the box and it is what we have to do in airports,” he said. “The key element of our business model is penetration and conversion. We have to be obsessed with engaging customers and this, combined with the quality of the products, the staff and the space, makes pop-ups a success.”
Boinay noted the importance of the pop-up concept in airports. “They [pop-ups] can be extremely powerful for several reasons. The first is image: we are in a terminal where we are meeting very qualified customers; second is the experience that we are bringing to customers; third is the introduction of new elements, for example the Armani Box has an Instagram wall.”
“Feedback has been excellent and we are recruiting people every single day” – L’Oréal Travel Retail Managing Director Vincent Boinay
“From one pop-up to another we go from strength to strength and tweak them slightly,” Boinay explained. “With this one we are recruiting new customers and we can measure that by asking them on the photo booth if they have heard of Armani Beauty or have tried the brand before.”
Boinay said the pop-up showcases the best of the Armani beauty assortment. “In airports, we have to be curators, we have to bring the best to customers because they don’t have time to discover everything.
“Feedback has been excellent and we are recruiting people every single day,” Boinay concluded.
