Marionnaud opens their international showcase on the Champs-Élysées

Vincent Gallon

11 November 2013

Marionnaud has just reopened their store at 104 Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris, after it had been closed for alterations since May. The 700 m2 surface has been completely redesigned, and it is now to become the group’s international showcase. This new temple of beauty was conceived the same way as a Haussmann mansion: it is structured around a monumental hall that is entirely dedicated to perfumery, and a mezzanine where makeup is placed to the fore. Services and digital interactivity also lie at the core of the concept.

Marionnaud belongs to the Hong Kong-based A.S. Watson Group, and owns over 1,100 stores in eleven countries. They are thus one of the leading companies in selective distribution of perfumes and cosmetics in Europe, and can be found in Austria, Spain, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovenia and Switzerland. In France, Marionnaud has a network of 535 stores, about 210 of which have been refurbished within the last 18 months.

An atypical store

However, the distributor has used a completely unusual, new concept for their store on the Champs-Élysées. According to Marionnaud, tourists represent more than two thirds of the clientele there, among whom a great number come from the Middle East and China. “They want to go home with a French style, luxury souvenir from Paris. They wish to be given emotions and marvel at perfumes, iconic luxury brands and gift boxes”, highlight the brand’s managers. As a real international showcase, this store has thus received particular attention to the only aim of making it a spectacular place.

“We have designed this exceptional store thinking about the variety of its customers and the myth embodied both by Paris and the Champs-Élysées. It is our window to the world, designed by Marionnaud Paris”, underlines William Koeberlé, Managing Director of Groupe Marionnaud.

As soon as they step into the store, visitors are plunged into the typical world of Haussmann mansions, as they walk around and rediscover all their codes: the entrance gallery is outlined by the huge, six-meter high art deco-inspired bookcase. The monumental hall is wholly dedicated to perfumes, and offers several hundred different fragrances, including a few special ranges, such as the Armani Privé collection. Theme tables display new launches as well as cult, designer perfumes, olfactory discoveries, etc. The company has also worked in collaboration with the brands to offer products that were specifically developed for foreign customers, such as mini-bottle boxes, gift boxes…

The furniture was also designed as a nod to the suite, with the mezzanine, the makeup tables that remind us of dressing tables, the small lounge and the large windows opening onto the beautiful inner courtyard, the monumental stairs coated with a purple metal and ornamented with a pendant chandelier reminiscent of perfume bottles… “We wanted to create a brand new experience, to poetize the moment spent in the store and invite visitors to walk around and discover various universes of beauty”, explain architects Sophie Thuillier and Cristano Benzoni.

Interactive mirrors

The mezzanine is completely dedicated to makeup. It was added to the store, which enabled to gain over 100 m2. It also enables to catch a glimpse of what lies beyond the perfumes at the entrance. It comprises a series of makeup tables to recreate the atmosphere of studios and fashion shows in a luxurious decor. Brands’ professional makeup artists offer customers flash makeup sessions and personalized tips. Thanks to digital mirrors, customers can take pictures of themselves and post them on social networks.

Priority given to service

Marionnaud has also chosen to give priority to services at their store on the Champs-Élysées. The commercial workforce has been doubled, with eighty workers now instead of forty, including sales assistants, checkout assistants, stock team members... There is also a new floor manager who is in charge of skin care, perfumes, makeup and checkout. All in all, about fifteen languages are spoken, and the team was trained in particular to “the specificities of the store and the clientele on the Champs-Élysées, as well as to the art of “luxury attitude”, by learning how to use the right gestures and how to look, listen and pay attention to customers”.

Nail, eyebrow and bun bars… they will all be available on a made-to-measure basis or by appointment.

Moreover, the store still opens from 10am to 12am every day. Marionnaud has thus chosen not to take into account the obligation to close at 9pm, although its competitor Sephora, on the same sidewalk, had to comply with it. Marionnaud puts forward a house agreement, which was signed in 2001 and reviewed in 2002, with the agreement of trade unions.