Coty, the licensor for Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein, has introduced a new touch-less fragrance testing system for bricks-and-mortar retailers.
To rule out interference between fragrance testers in the air, the digitally-enabled device delivers a sample of the scent onto the customer’s arm or a blotter, for a more accurate swatch and to reduce fragrance waste.
Set to roll out to beauty destinations in key European markets this month, Sue Nabi’s company will also launch the service in Asia later this year.
“With the return of in-person shopping, the health and safety of our consumers are always at the forefront of our minds,” said Coty’s VP Retail Experience, Claire Catherine-Mercier.
“Deploying a single drop of liquid to the skin with the same restitution as traditional testers, this new technology eliminates unnecessary waste and offers a safe, contact-free alternative for testing.”
Testing experiences were initially thrown into disarray in the early months of the pandemic with retailers cutting sampling from their stores.
But as restrictions lift worldwide, stores have been reintroducing the service to their destinations, and the hiatus has sparked innovation in the testing space, as hygiene becomes a major concern of beauty shoppers.
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Sampling solutions provider Arcade Beauty seized an opportunity to develop new testers to keep up with the changing attitudes of the market, and introduced its peel off, single-dose label, which is compatible with perfume, foundation and make-up.
“Our traditional way of distributing samples before was in magazines and, to do this, we affix a small label on the page of a magazine. So we have adapted this technology to affix this label to small cards, or on a board,” said Carl Allain, CEO of Arcade Beauty.
“We have a peel-off solution that allows the beauty advisor to peel off and give a single dose to a consumer in-store.”
Meanwhile, Puig’s digital fragrance tool allows customers to select fragrances without smelling or testing them.
Dubbed AILICE, inspired by Alice through the looking-glass, customers can scan a QR code when they enter the store, scan a fragrance and AILICE will analyse the scent’s information.
Puig first rolled out to Penhaligon’s stores in September last year.