Beauty treatment lovers are trading salons for department stores as a number of luxury retailers make room for offerings ranging from nail appointments to medical aesthetics into their square footage.
The likes of luxury department store players Harrods, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Liberty in the UK, and Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus in the US, are replacing precious traditional retail space to make way for industry professionals who want to set up shop.
These professional partnerships, ranging from permanent spaces within department stores to short-term residencies, are the result of multiple aspects, including a shift to service-led beauty offerings to combat competition for retail spend in an oversaturated market.
Liberty department store in London, UK, for example, has transformed some of its retail space to allow for treatment rooms in partnership with the likes of professional players Dermalogica, Omorovicza Cosmetics and Sunday Riley.
This is in addition to acupuncture services, an in-store hair salon with Taylor Taylor London and advanced aesthetics treatments through the Dr David Jack Clinic at Liberty.
Meanwhile, luxury giant Harrods is now operating as a one-stop shop for both beauty products and professional services, with bookable experiences ranging from from hair styling by Drybar to male-focused services in the Adam Grooming Atelier.
Not to mention, nail services with Townhouse, while The Wellness Clinic offers everything from aesthetics and dentistry to IV drips.
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More recently, Harvey Nichols’ Knightsbridge location in London, UK, has transformed its fourth floor into a wellness hub that spans beauty and beyond, with highlights including a reformer pilates studio with Pilates in the Clouds, cryotherapy with 111 Cryo and aesthetics from Dr Motox.
By adding these spaces into department stores, these luxury spaces are offering a new arm to beauty that high street retailers simply do not have the space for.
For the clients, these spaces often offer an elevated experience – a key aspect when 61% of UK adults who have had a professional beauty or grooming treatment say a pleasant experience is more important than how much it costs, according to market intelligence and research agency Mintel.
This move also comes as consumers look for results-driven treatments backed by science and efficacy.
When you think about blow dry bars or nail services, they truly have the potential to bring a new customer to their door
Effie Asafu-Adjaye, founder of beauty consultancy Beautiful Sparks, explains: “Specifically speaking to in-store clinics, if you follow where category growth is coming from in the beauty space, the medi-spa and aesthetics space is on an incredible trajectory.
“People cannot get enough of science-backed and clinical-grade beauty that gets results.
“There has been a shift of consumer preference to brands that can deliver, it is no longer just about pretty packaging.
“The rise of investors focusing on this space also speaks to the size of the prize here, so it is no surprise that retailers are capitalising on this boom too.”
The in-store clinic and salon client
The Dr David Jack Clinic found in Liberty offers a range of advanced treatments
This new type of treatment environment can lead to a different type of client than usually found in standalone beauty salons.
Margaret Dabbs OBE, founder of Margaret Dabbs London, which recently reopened its Foot Clinic within Harrods’ fourth floor Wellness Clinic, as well as having a separate location within Liberty, noted how clients in these spaces are often on-the-go.
“The Harrods shopper is often
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