French niche perfume house Annick Goutal opened its first own-name store in the US this month, on Bleecker Street in Manhattan, New York. The firm’s packaging has also been updated with the aim of attracting a younger clientele, with its trademark tinted bottles being replaced by clear glass.
The 400sqft (37sqm) store is decorated in a luxurious but modern French style, with contrasting wood and metal giving a light- and-dark unisex effect. A photograph of the firm’s founder, Annick Goutal, is prominently positioned and there is a garden at the rear of the property for clients to relax. A second US store is due to follow next year, also in New York, and the firm is also increasing its US distribution via selective retailers such as Bergdorf Goodman and Henri Bendel, with a focus on the East Coast.
Annick Goutal, founded in 1981, has been undergoing something of a revamp since its purchase in 2011 by Korean company AmorePacific, which has introduced new packaging and larger bottle sizes. It is AmorePacific’s first wholly owned perfume brand, though the firm also holds the licence for Lolita Lempicka.