Pure Beauty

Feelunique acquires four brick-and-mortar stores

Published: 1-Dec-2015

The UK beauty e-tailer recently acquired Parfumeries Rive Droite

UK beauty e-tailer Feelunique has expanded into France with the acquisition of Parfumeries Rive Droite. The acquisition includes four boutiques in Greater Paris with a flagship store in Avenue Marceau. The move is also supported by the appointment of Feelunique’s first in-country Managing Director, Claire Blandin.

The four stores are set to be renamed as Feelunique stores and plans are in place to enable the brands available in-store to be accessible to French shoppers online. Branding is due to remain consistent with the UK, although some messages may have a local influence.

“Feelunique is already the leading independent premium beauty site in Europe and maintaining and growing this position requires us to get closer to our consumers,” said Joel Palix CEO of Feelunique. “France is the largest beauty market in Europe with online sales representing less than 5% of total market versus close to 10% in UK. It’s a market with high potential for us and has been flat for several years, so needs new innovative formats and brands to excite consumers again.” Branding is due to remain consistent with the UK, although some messages may have a local influence. “We will adapt some messages to reflect the fact we are still a newcomer in the French market,” Palix explained.

The appointment of the first in-country Managing Director Claire Blandin is also big news for the brand, with Blandin keen to alert new consumers to the brand. She said: “One of my main objectives is to increase the awareness of Feelunique in France. We have to communicate to French women that our website is unique in Europe with such a large offering covering all the beauty channels and all leading brands, as well as some niche and exclusive English brands.”

Blandin is confident a gap for the company exists. “No one currently has such a richness of offer. We keep innovating with new services to satisfy the demanding online beauty consumer.”

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