Introduction: Alûstre CEO Hans Hornmeann and Gebr. Heinemann Copenhagen Managing Director Katrin Bamler talk about shared values, the importance of locally driven experiences and how wellbeing spaces can help elevate the airport experience.
Alûstre, which launched ten months ago, was built on a patented technology that infuses diamond particles with a growing product portfolio. Under the mantra ‘Illuminate your beauty’, the Alûstre team has set out to redefine the luxury beauty space with its premium nail polish, nailcare, fragrance products and its newly launched colour cosmetics collection. The brand has recently made its global travel retail debut at Gebr. Heinemann’s Experience Space at Copenhagen Airport and The Moodie Davitt Report was on location for the launch.
As reported, the Experience Space is centred around the overarching theme of ‘fluid perspectives’. The space allows visitors to engage with ‘lift and learn’ technology, which activates interactive digital screens, a motion-activated digital floor as well as immersive visual and sound elements.
Travellers can shop the brand’s nail polish, nailcare, fragrances and colour cosmetics, and enjoy flash makeup services and free manicures. Alûstre Beauty Advisors are on-hand inviting travellers to sample the hand cream and to indulge in a moment of selfcare with a free manicure on-site, a first at Copenhagen Airport, according to the partners.
Shared values and elevated shopping experiences
Commenting on the brand’s partnership with Gebr. Heinemann, Alûstre CEO Hans Hornemann says: “What makes this work is the professionalism of Gebr. Heinemann. They are extremely proficient at what they do and know exactly how to drive a pop-up like this.
“Alûstre is like a train wagon that’s clicked into a high-speed train, and that train is Gebr. Heinemann. They are the engine driving this activation and we are just lucky to be part of it. As a retailer, Heinemann really excels at thinking out of the box and I think that the Experience Space is testament to that.”
Gebr. Heinemann Copenhagen Managing Director Katrin Bamler adds: “Everybody talks about adding retailtainment, digital and physical to the airport environment and we tried to bring all of that into the Experience Space. It’s important that we combine not just digital and retailtainment elements with great product but deliver on the people element as well.
“What we’ve noticed is that the staff are crucial to getting passengers to explore the space, inviting them to enjoy a manicure or makeup touch-ups.”
Bamler continues: “Our aim is to make leave people happier than when they came in, by delivering something unexpected, surprising and memorable. Following this ethos, we look for brands who want to do something different and that’s how we came together with Alûstre. And I think, looking at the Experience Space today, we have managed to achieve that on the shop floor.
“With Alûstre, we have a young brand with a great image and this platform gives us a great opportunity to try new things, get onboard with trends and give new brands the visibility they need to shine.”
While Alûstre’s partnership with Gebr. Heinemann marks its pop-up debut in the travel retail space, it also marks the launch of its colour cosmetics range. The collection comprises a blush, bronzer and highlighter, a selection of makeup brushes as well as lip liners and a diamond-encrusted lip balm.
Hornemann says: “Our goal is to be a new kind of luxury brand. Quality is number one for us. Everything we do has to be the world’s best quality and that’s a very humbling starting point when you look at the competition we’re up against, particularly in colour cosmetics.”
Hornemann takes a very hands-on approach to managing Alûstre and has spent several Sundays working full shifts, on the ground, to meet and engage with customers and staff at Copenhagen Airport. He says: “Being able to spend time with the customer is an absolute gift. Through this in-person interaction, you can learn what they value and course correct. All brands would perform better if their CEOs spent time on the shop floor. When I go see the Heinemann team, they spend all their time on the shop floor and so we as a brand need to do the same.”
Talking about the feedback he has received on the ground, Hornemann says: “As a retailer, what Heinemann does well is thinking out of the box and the Experience Space is a testament to that. Internally, the staff love our product and the feedback from customers has been overly positive. Customers are loving the quality, design and the execution of Alûstre at the airport, which delivers additional services such as free manicures. Because what better time to spend on yourself than when you’re waiting at the airport?”
A platform for homegrown brands
The Experience Space is a platform that is constantly changing and serves as a showcase for many homegrown Danish brands, adding Sense of Place to Gebr. Heinemann’s offer at Copenhagen Airport. Currently, Alûstre is being showcased alongside other local brands Messy Weekend and Anton Berg.
Commenting on how Gebr. Heinemann finds the balance between delivering newness and having well-known international brands in the offer, Bamler explains: “New brands and tried-and-tested brands create a synergy on the shop floor. Our view is that they don’t take away from each other, but instead work in synergy to elevate the overall offer. We will always need the big brands, but we need new brands like Alûstre to deliver newness, address different consumer needs and attract different consumer groups.
“The growing importance of new, niche brands are a phenomenon that goes well beyond the travel retail channel,” she adds. “We want to give travellers something unexpected at the airport to stay relevant. This is driven by global trends, with everyone wanting to express themselves differently.”
Turning travel time into valuable time
According to the partners, Alûstre’s presence in the Experience Space is the perfect embodiment of Gebr. Heinemann’s mission of ‘Turning travel time into valuable time’.
Bamler says: “People often regard the time they spend in an airport as a waste of time, so our goal is to change this perception into something positive. We want to transform their travel time, by indulging in selfcare with a manicure or self-treat by going shopping, into valuable time. We also want to give them positive memories that will hopefully inspire them to arrive to the airport earlier on their next visit. After all, isn’t that the overarching goal of our channel?”
Describing the strategy that informed the design of the layout and offer of the Copenhagen store, Bamler says: “Our objective is to put travellers at the centre of everything that we do. The execution of this varies across different brands and categories.
“We like to view our event spaces as different islands,” she adds. “Of course, we have the Experience Space, but we also have a Danish beauty island, as well as regularly changing event areas for the different categories where we currently have a bar experience with Jägermeister and a special Chloé Atelier des Fleur event space focusing on fragrances – and all this comes together to meet as many consumer needs as possible.
“All our islands deliver different products, messages and experiences. It’s all about striking the right balance. We can’t dedicate our entire 2,600sq m of shop floor purely to Experience Spaces alone. We also need to cater to the convenience shopper, business traveller, and shoppers who are looking for Sense of Place.”
Locally informed, digitally driven
While the Experience Space at Copenhagen Airport is a world-first for Gebr. Heinemann, the concept represents a bold new approach in airport activations. Bamler explains: “We are testing out the concept in Copenhagen but our goal is to work with locally driven regional elements wherever we activate new Experience Spaces.
“You won’t see the exact Experience Space you see in Copenhagen in other countries, but the different digital elements, the multi-brand aspect of it and the interactivity, will remain key pillars.
“It’s not a blueprint,” she adds. “We want to give customers an unforgettable experience that is surprising, convenient and personal no matter what that may look like in other countries or regions.”
Alûstre’s travel retail journey
Alûstre, which is opening domestic stores all over the world, has adopted a strategic expansion approach to travel retail. The strategy, according to Hornemann, is to launch in airports where it already has a domestic presence with pop-ups playing a crucial role.
Hornemann adds: “Pop-ups are a key part of our strategy. As a new brand, the way to get into the airport environment is to prove our value proposition through pop-ups like this. I see Gebr. Heinemann as a key partner in this. Our focus is to make this pop-up a success, learn from it and move on. We’re opening stores every single week, so it’s about strategic prioritisation too.
“Travel retail is super important and the choice of execution is key. How you go to market is key, and so we are leaning on Gebr. Heinemann’s strategy of adding experience to travellers’ waiting time.
“Our ambition is to be a global brand but we don’t want to be overdistributed,” he adds. “We need to balance sales versus image and accessibility and that changes market to market. Now, we’re starting discussions with our Chinese partners which will be a massive market for us.”
A shining new player in colour cosmetics
Alûstre’s expansion into colour cosmetics was a natural progression for the brand, as it continues to apply its DiamondInfused technology to other categories. Hornemann says: “In terms of product, we are selectively going into new categories but with the goal of being the best in every category. For us, it’s not the width of our portfolio but the depth. We do everything with intention.”
Alûstre has an exciting innovation pipeline for the year ahead with plans to launch an eyeshadow palette, an everyday buildable mascara and an eyeliner before the end of the year. “Our DiamondInfused technology means that we have natural diamond dust in every single nail polish flacon,” Hornemann says.
“This gives us a point of difference because it impacts the longevity of our products, improves ease of application, drying time and so much more. The way that we are expanding the brand leans into our raison d’être, which is to ‘Illuminate Your Beauty’. If you look at it that way, that thinking gives us endless opportunities for expansion.”
One to watch
While Alûstre may be a relatively new entrant into the beauty space, its momentum certainly makes it a brand worth watching. Hornemann concludes: “From a brand that went live ten months ago, I think we’ve gone a long way. We’ve tried to stay humble with our feet on the ground. I think the key to success is to partner with the world’s best distributors, including Gebr. Heinemann, to help this brand reach its true potential.
“What sets us apart is our agility and ability to understand what our customers want. Consumers are looking for newness and I think that there is a bigger space for Alûstre than even we think ourselves. That blue ocean is however large or small you make it.” ✈
