tradition revisited
031 ECM0111 house of fraser.qxp:Layout 1
25/1/11
10:52
Page 31
HOUSE OF FRASER RETAIL FOCUS
Back in 1849 it was simply a modest shop selling linens and wools in Glasgow. Over 160 years and 61 stores later, House of Fraser is among the favourite shopping destinations in the UK and Ireland, offering a wide range of goods encompassing gifts, cosmetics, clothing, home furnishings, footwear and food. The Scottish heritage of the company is even recognised by the Royal Household, which has given House of Fraser the Royal Warrant since 1946. Through the gradual acquisition of independent stores, the shop first founded by Hugh Fraser and James Arthur has slowly but surely developed into the institution that it is today. By 1994 House of Fraser was listed on the London Stock Exchange, while September 2005 saw the opening of the company’s first store in Dublin, Ireland, followed in 2008 by the opening of a new store in Belfast, Northern Ireland. House of Fraser also recently opened stores in Croydon, Birmingham, Bristol and in London’s Westfield Shopping Centre. Today most of the 61 stores are in a mixture of town and city centre and regional shopping centre locations, usually being the largest or second largest department store in the area. Last year House of Fraser opened a new Beauty Hall in Frasers Glasgow (how it is known in its native Scotland) while also launching an entirely new retail proposition nationwide, The Apothecary, so it’s been a busy time. Beautiful in Glasgow Frasers holds a particularly special place in the company’s heart, since that’s where the business originated. The Beauty Hall is located in the oldest part of the building which dates back to 1851. Last year the refurbishment aimed to enhance the store so that it was ‘the preferred beauty destination for Scottish consumers’. “The refurbishment of the Beauty Hall has taken 18 months to plan and implement and forms part of what is a major ongoing refurbishment of the store,” says Joanne Lee, director of buying for the beauty division at the company. “The refurbishment has created a dedicated fragrance hall and a pampering treatment suite as well as introducing new brands such as NARS, Giorgio Armani and Tom Ford’s Private Blends with stateof-the-art builds and of course the first House of Fraser Apothecary.” At present, the Frasers Beauty Hall in Glasgow is the fourth largest in the UK, behind Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Harrods. It is also the highest
House of Fraser: Company details Founded: 1849 Website: www.houseoffraser.co.uk
With The Apothecary recently launched nationwide and the revamp of its Beauty Hall in Glasgow, House of Fraser is evidence that offering consumers a unique beauty proposition pays off. Nadia Di Martino reports grossing beauty hall in the UK outside London with the cosmetics department currently employing 244 consultants. Since the refurbishment, the Frasers Beauty Hall, located on House of Fraser: A selection of treatments available at the Frasers Beauty Hall, Glasgow Hair removal, anti-ageing treatments (DestinationSkin)
Number of employees: 6,500 House of Fraser staff and 10,000 concession staff
Manicures, pedicures (Nails Inc)
Retail space covered: 5m sqft
Facials, massages (Decléor, Clarins)
Number of outlets: 61 stores in the UK and Ireland
Makeovers and masterclasses (MAC, Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier)
ceo: John King
Simplifyle 17
TRADITION REVISITED
False lashes (Get Lashed)
January 2011 ECM 31
031 ECM0111 house of fraser.qxp:Layout 1
25/1/11
10:52
Page 32
RETAIL FOCUS HOUSE OF FRASER
the ground floor of the store, occupies 16,625sq ft. It offers a plethora of brands and also features eight treatment rooms, four of which are DestinationSkin branded treatment rooms while the other four are shared between other brands. “Frasers has been a Glasgow institution for many years and customers visit the store for the exclusive brands that often can’t be found elsewhere in Scotland. Our customers are extremely loyal as we have seen in the fantastic events that we held for the ground floor relaunch in October and for the 160th birthday in 2009,” says Lee. “Many consumers have been coming to Fraser’s since they were children and we want to
repay that loyalty by offering them a fantastic array of brands in store.” The new Beauty Hall is the retailer’s attempt at reaching out to customers, not only providing them with a better shopping experience but also with interaction and participation. Lee continues: “It is important to interact with your customers to ensure that you are meeting their needs. We are very proud that the majority of staff within the Frasers Beauty Hall have been with us for a long time and it is their passion and dedication which ensures customers have a fantastic shopping experience.” Indeed, many of the beauty consultants at Frasers have been employed for several years, with
The Apothecary experience ECM spoke to some of the new brands which have been selected to line the shelves of The Apothecary about the experience so far Laboratoires Filorga Paris Laboratoires Filorga Paris claims to be the first French line of dermocosmetic products derived directly from a combination of aesthetic medicine and cosmetic science. Marianne Tabudlo, PR manager at Filorga, tells ECM: “In its home country Filorga is sold uniquely in pharmacies. People are accustomed to buying effective skin care in pharmacies in France, however it’s different in the UK and when we launched our products here, House of Fraser asked to be our distributor. We accepted because House of Fraser fits in very well with our company ethos and philosophy. Filorga was launched in House of Fraser at the end of November with ten references in the UK and customers can also find our products online. The Apothecary is just the right place to be for Filorga!” MOR Inspired by art, fashion and travel, MOR was founded in 1998 by Australian designers Dianna Burmas and Deon St Mor. Dianna Burmas comments: “We launched very recently in House of Fraser
Source: MOR
32 ECM January 2011
nationwide in the UK and even earlier in the Beauty Hall in Glasgow. We are an Australian brand originally but we have had exposure worldwide for many years especially in the US and Japan. I’m now based in the UK so this allows me to take care of the business on this side of the world much more effectively, not only in the UK but also with a view to Europe. We made contact with House of Fraser and we planned our launch here to coincide with the launch of The Apothecary. They were looking for niche brands so we definitely fit in. House of Fraser is a major department store in the UK and it’s ideal for us as this is definitely a time of expansion for MOR. We have 45 skus in House of Fraser and even though it’s too early to have any performance data we our confident about the future.” Trilogy Trilogy was founded in 2002 by two New Zealand sisters and the brand offers products that claim to have ‘the maximum effect on your skin and minimum effect on the environment’. Emily O’Leary, UK and Ireland sales manager, comments: “House of Fraser has always been a distribution target for Trilogy as we grow internationally. When our distributor Ken Lamacraft was approached by Tracy Van Heusden from House of Fraser about being part of her vision of creating an apothecary concept we were delighted and honoured to be part of this initiative. “House of Fraser is a leading retailer within the UK market and is renowned for stocking quality brands and products. Trilogy is a high performance quality brand and so fits with House of Fraser really well. “Situated within The Apothecary section, Trilogy stands out as a high performance natural offering. We launched at House of Fraser in November and will continue to roll-out in all other doors. Sales have started well and we are looking to cement ourselves as a leading brand within The Apothecary area. With regard to our products, Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil is the best selling Trilogy product and is a true favourite of House of Fraser consumers.”
Trilogy is committed to delivering high performance natural skin care products which have an environmentally friendly and ethical ethos
The Rosebud Perfume Company Ltd Smiths’ Rosebud Salve by The Rosebud Perfume Company Ltd has been a beauty essential for many women for over a century. The company is now offering the Rosebud Three Lavish Layer Vintage Tin, said to be a treat for any lip balm addict. Fenella Kayser, director, tells ECM: “House of Fraser is a leader both in the fashion
Simplifyle 17
031 ECM0111 house of fraser.qxp:Layout 1
25/1/11
10:52
Page 33
HOUSE OF FRASER RETAIL FOCUS
This fig scented candle by Cereria Terenzi features an innovative wooden wick – when lit it emits the sound of wood burning and crackling in a fireplace
Simplifyle 17
the longest serving member of staff in service for 42 years. “To help customer navigation, brands are grouped into particular categories, the walkways have been widened and the brand offering has been really elevated to incorporate new brands. The store has also received a new Clarins spa alongside eight new treatments,” adds Lee. She also explains how the Beauty Hall is the gateway to the rest of the store, generally being the first category that the customers access. She continues: “I believe that beauty in a department store has to have a point of view. The customer wants to be able to get the products they love and regularly use but are equally inspired and excited by newness and innovation in products and
services. The key ingredient is to have a knowledgeable beauty consultant team. This is an area we constantly monitor with our brands at House of Fraser.”
world and in the beauty world and this is why we are very proud of being there. The launch of The Apothecary concept has been an absolutely perfect fit with our Smith’s Rosebud Range. I can confirm that our sales numbers within House of Fraser have been incredibly strong.”
professional tanning brand which aims to offer consumers a high quality product but at an affordable price. The new Apothecary department gives us the perfect opportunity to showcase our brand in a fabulous environment that we are proud to be a part of. We have always kept the He-Shi product offering as simple and customer friendly as possible. “The brand is defined in three key steps and merchandised in an easy-to-navigate system. Combined with knowledgeable and well trained staff, we’re confident the retail experience is always simple, informative and enjoyable. While it’s still too early to talk about our sales as He-Shi has only recently launched into House of Fraser, we are sure the Express Liquid Tan 150ml will be our best seller when it gets going.”
Cereria Terenzi Cereria Terenzi offers high quality candles steeped in history combined with masterful craftsmanship. Paolo Terenzi, president, explains: “House of Fraser first noticed us when we were selected by distributors at the Cosmoprof show. It was our home fragrance lines that attracted the organisers’ attention. After the initial contact with House of Fraser we were then approached by the buyers who fell in love with our green and ethical style. We sent them a sample which was then selected for their innovative project The Apothecary and that’s where you can find us today. “We have found it a real success story for an Italian company that is unknown in the UK. Further to this, we really believe we fit in with House of Fraser as it addresses a selected public, interested in quality, handmade, artisan products. “The offer to stock us at House of Fraser means a lot to us, and we are proud to have a space in the UK market where the main European trends originate and the most sophisticated customers can now access our products. We’ve been in House of Fraser for just a few months but our turnover has already hit t40,000 and we are looking forward to going beyond t250,000 soon. We know we are a niche brand but we are also a durable brand.” He-Shi Claiming to be Ireland’s leading self-tanning range, He-Shi is designed to provide an all year round natural tan. Shelley McMurray, co-founder of He-Shi tells ECM: “With House of Fraser being one of the UK’s leading beauty retailers, a listing with the group has always been a key target in the development of the He-Shi brand. The group’s recent development of beauty treatment rooms and the potential that this represents for a professional brand made it a great opportunity which we wanted to embrace, so this was our first consideration when we entered House of Fraser. This store is a renowned site, known for bringing designer brands and luxurious products to a large audience and we feel that He-Shi fits perfectly within this offer. He-Shi is a premium and
A new shopping experience While the new Beauty Hall in Glasgow has been open since the end of September last year, House of Fraser in London has also been busy launching its new retail concept, The Apothecary, which launched there on 14 October. This will be rolled out nationwide over the course of 2011 and was the brainchild of House of Fraser’s senior beauty buyer, Tracy Van Heusden. “The Apothecary was inspired by trips to Italy and France that myself
The Gentry Grooming Co A space dedicated solely to men is what The Gentry Grooming Co represents at House of Fraser. A family business, it was developed to offer men a relaxing salon experience, offerering 20 minute express shaves, skin consultations and an extensive range of products. Charlotte Morris, marketing assistant, tells ECM: “We wanted to offer something to men that women have had for years such as skin consultations and express skin care centres. We had meetings with various other retailers but felt that House of Fraser understood our vision best. House of Fraser as a brand aligns well with The Gentry brand due to its geographical presence, the demographic customer base and the synergy between our target audiences. The retail experience is a completely unique experience offering express shaves, facials and manicure services, coupled with products and expert advice. We have only recently started listing within the store and as such our trading patterns are yet to be established, however we are pleased with our sales performance to date considering we are a previously unknown brand. “Our best selling product in House of Fraser Manchester for example is The Face Balm. Infused with black pepper and mint, it’s a light, non-greasy, easily absorbed daily moisturiser that helps hydrate skin. The unique formula also contains UV filters to help protect the skin from environmental damage. Packed full of natural ingredients including coconut oil, daily use can help prevent fine lines.”
January 2011 ECM 33
031 ECM0111 house of fraser.qxp:Layout 1
25/1/11
10:53
Page 34
RETAIL FOCUS HOUSE OF FRASER
and Joanne Lee took in the past year. We visited the traditional store, Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella in Florence, and were delighted with the beautiful products that surrounded us. Contrasting this with the practical everyday products that we saw in the French pharmacies, I wanted to create a cutting edge beauty emporium in-store and a place where customers could discover niche brands as well as everyday items.” According to Van Heusden The Apothecary combines a feeling of nostalgia with a fresh cutting edge in retail. “We recognised that traditional practices are as relevant and desirable as new technology in today’s market and that the customer wants a combination of both. This is why you’ll find beautiful handcrafted traditional candles from Cereria Terenzi alongside Perricone MD, 3Lab and Filorga for example.” The Apothecary is a place where customers can discover new brands and experience products in a relaxed environment. The team pushed the boundaries to ensure that each counter reflected the very best in development for each brand, with results that included a new three-axis site for Chanel for example. Offering a mix of contemporary, classic, niche and global brands, The Apothecary strives to offer real solutions to everyday problems. It seems the success of The Apothecary rests on the array of products on offer and the wide appeal for consumers. Product prices range from £4 for a Body America Lip Balm to Révive’s Peau Magnifique Youth Recruit at £900. Van Heusden continues: “With 61 stores nationwide we do have a vast geographical area to cover and our stores and consumers do vary. The Apothecary concept can be adapted to meet the needs of our target audience. For example where there is a receptive male customer base it may include products designed for them, or where there is a strong luxury skin care demand The Apothecary will reflect this. It is an area that will continue to develop and evolve and which ensures that the customer always has new things to try.” While launching the new retail space, House of Fraser has also created its own Apothecary brand, with a product line that includes candles, skin care products and gift sets. “Our Apothecary line was created as we felt that there was a gap for luxurious gift items at an accessible price point. We were privileged to work with renowned perfumer François Robert to create these indulgent products that embody the essence of The Apothecary.” The first phase roll-out of the line hasn’t disappointed with products like The Apothecary Candle selling very well. According to the company the candle makes a perfect gift for friends and family and they feature a blend of selected fragrances including bergamot and lemon and its scent is said to comfort and restore. The Apothecary Gift Collections – namely the Apothecary Body Collection, the Apothecary Hand Collection and the Apothecary Travel Collection – also contain this fragrance. The products are free from sodium lauryl sulfates, 34 ECM January 2011
House of Fraser: Apothecary brands 3Lab Ark Berkeley Square Body America Cereria Terenzi Crabtree & Evelyn Deborah Lippmann Electric Body Eylure Fake Bake
parabens, propylene glycols, animal by-products, mineral oils and silicones to appeal to the customer wanting natural products.
Filorga Gentry Grooming Co He-Shi Hissyfit
Beyond tradition House of Fraser is looking forward to a successful year. According to Lee: “Since the refurbishment of the Beauty Hall in Glasgow, sales are flourishing and we are achieving our forecasts. We are especially pleased with the performance of our new introductions such as NARS and Giorgio Armani.” Customer response has also been very positive with many of the niche brands hosted by The Apothecary enjoying a previously unknown popularity. Van Heusden adds: “Soon The Apothecary will be available in all House of Fraser stores and it’s being received very well by customers so far. The feedback that we have received is that customers are enjoying the mixture of products available and the chance to discover new brands in a nonintimidating environment. The brands that seem to have caught our customer’s imagination so far include Deborah Lippmann, MOR and Smith’s Rosebud Salve.” Concludes Lee: “Sales are flourishing; we are achieving our plans and we are pleased with the performance of our new introductions. Customers have responded very positively and we have enjoyed a great footfall throughout the store. We have had great customer feedback from this and other refurbishments that have taken place.”
Jane Packer Lab Series Lancaster La-Tweez Laura Mercier MOR Per-fékt Perricone MD Révive Rodial Rosebud St Tropez Trilogy Vita Liberata Xen Tan
House of Fraser: Trading update, Christmas 2010 Like-for-like sales for the five weeks to 8 January 2011 were up 8.5%, despite the severe weather conditions Margins up by 30 basis points House brand sees growth of over 50% Strong performance from brand partners including concession business Outstanding online sales were up by 120% with an over 50% increase in brands offered Strong performance from newly refurbished stores with like-for-like sales here up by 10% Source: House of Fraser
Simplifyle 17
25/1/11
10:52
Page 31
HOUSE OF FRASER RETAIL FOCUS
Back in 1849 it was simply a modest shop selling linens and wools in Glasgow. Over 160 years and 61 stores later, House of Fraser is among the favourite shopping destinations in the UK and Ireland, offering a wide range of goods encompassing gifts, cosmetics, clothing, home furnishings, footwear and food. The Scottish heritage of the company is even recognised by the Royal Household, which has given House of Fraser the Royal Warrant since 1946. Through the gradual acquisition of independent stores, the shop first founded by Hugh Fraser and James Arthur has slowly but surely developed into the institution that it is today. By 1994 House of Fraser was listed on the London Stock Exchange, while September 2005 saw the opening of the company’s first store in Dublin, Ireland, followed in 2008 by the opening of a new store in Belfast, Northern Ireland. House of Fraser also recently opened stores in Croydon, Birmingham, Bristol and in London’s Westfield Shopping Centre. Today most of the 61 stores are in a mixture of town and city centre and regional shopping centre locations, usually being the largest or second largest department store in the area. Last year House of Fraser opened a new Beauty Hall in Frasers Glasgow (how it is known in its native Scotland) while also launching an entirely new retail proposition nationwide, The Apothecary, so it’s been a busy time. Beautiful in Glasgow Frasers holds a particularly special place in the company’s heart, since that’s where the business originated. The Beauty Hall is located in the oldest part of the building which dates back to 1851. Last year the refurbishment aimed to enhance the store so that it was ‘the preferred beauty destination for Scottish consumers’. “The refurbishment of the Beauty Hall has taken 18 months to plan and implement and forms part of what is a major ongoing refurbishment of the store,” says Joanne Lee, director of buying for the beauty division at the company. “The refurbishment has created a dedicated fragrance hall and a pampering treatment suite as well as introducing new brands such as NARS, Giorgio Armani and Tom Ford’s Private Blends with stateof-the-art builds and of course the first House of Fraser Apothecary.” At present, the Frasers Beauty Hall in Glasgow is the fourth largest in the UK, behind Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Harrods. It is also the highest
House of Fraser: Company details Founded: 1849 Website: www.houseoffraser.co.uk
With The Apothecary recently launched nationwide and the revamp of its Beauty Hall in Glasgow, House of Fraser is evidence that offering consumers a unique beauty proposition pays off. Nadia Di Martino reports grossing beauty hall in the UK outside London with the cosmetics department currently employing 244 consultants. Since the refurbishment, the Frasers Beauty Hall, located on House of Fraser: A selection of treatments available at the Frasers Beauty Hall, Glasgow Hair removal, anti-ageing treatments (DestinationSkin)
Number of employees: 6,500 House of Fraser staff and 10,000 concession staff
Manicures, pedicures (Nails Inc)
Retail space covered: 5m sqft
Facials, massages (Decléor, Clarins)
Number of outlets: 61 stores in the UK and Ireland
Makeovers and masterclasses (MAC, Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier)
ceo: John King
Simplifyle 17
TRADITION REVISITED
False lashes (Get Lashed)
January 2011 ECM 31
031 ECM0111 house of fraser.qxp:Layout 1
25/1/11
10:52
Page 32
RETAIL FOCUS HOUSE OF FRASER
the ground floor of the store, occupies 16,625sq ft. It offers a plethora of brands and also features eight treatment rooms, four of which are DestinationSkin branded treatment rooms while the other four are shared between other brands. “Frasers has been a Glasgow institution for many years and customers visit the store for the exclusive brands that often can’t be found elsewhere in Scotland. Our customers are extremely loyal as we have seen in the fantastic events that we held for the ground floor relaunch in October and for the 160th birthday in 2009,” says Lee. “Many consumers have been coming to Fraser’s since they were children and we want to
repay that loyalty by offering them a fantastic array of brands in store.” The new Beauty Hall is the retailer’s attempt at reaching out to customers, not only providing them with a better shopping experience but also with interaction and participation. Lee continues: “It is important to interact with your customers to ensure that you are meeting their needs. We are very proud that the majority of staff within the Frasers Beauty Hall have been with us for a long time and it is their passion and dedication which ensures customers have a fantastic shopping experience.” Indeed, many of the beauty consultants at Frasers have been employed for several years, with
The Apothecary experience ECM spoke to some of the new brands which have been selected to line the shelves of The Apothecary about the experience so far Laboratoires Filorga Paris Laboratoires Filorga Paris claims to be the first French line of dermocosmetic products derived directly from a combination of aesthetic medicine and cosmetic science. Marianne Tabudlo, PR manager at Filorga, tells ECM: “In its home country Filorga is sold uniquely in pharmacies. People are accustomed to buying effective skin care in pharmacies in France, however it’s different in the UK and when we launched our products here, House of Fraser asked to be our distributor. We accepted because House of Fraser fits in very well with our company ethos and philosophy. Filorga was launched in House of Fraser at the end of November with ten references in the UK and customers can also find our products online. The Apothecary is just the right place to be for Filorga!” MOR Inspired by art, fashion and travel, MOR was founded in 1998 by Australian designers Dianna Burmas and Deon St Mor. Dianna Burmas comments: “We launched very recently in House of Fraser
Source: MOR
32 ECM January 2011
nationwide in the UK and even earlier in the Beauty Hall in Glasgow. We are an Australian brand originally but we have had exposure worldwide for many years especially in the US and Japan. I’m now based in the UK so this allows me to take care of the business on this side of the world much more effectively, not only in the UK but also with a view to Europe. We made contact with House of Fraser and we planned our launch here to coincide with the launch of The Apothecary. They were looking for niche brands so we definitely fit in. House of Fraser is a major department store in the UK and it’s ideal for us as this is definitely a time of expansion for MOR. We have 45 skus in House of Fraser and even though it’s too early to have any performance data we our confident about the future.” Trilogy Trilogy was founded in 2002 by two New Zealand sisters and the brand offers products that claim to have ‘the maximum effect on your skin and minimum effect on the environment’. Emily O’Leary, UK and Ireland sales manager, comments: “House of Fraser has always been a distribution target for Trilogy as we grow internationally. When our distributor Ken Lamacraft was approached by Tracy Van Heusden from House of Fraser about being part of her vision of creating an apothecary concept we were delighted and honoured to be part of this initiative. “House of Fraser is a leading retailer within the UK market and is renowned for stocking quality brands and products. Trilogy is a high performance quality brand and so fits with House of Fraser really well. “Situated within The Apothecary section, Trilogy stands out as a high performance natural offering. We launched at House of Fraser in November and will continue to roll-out in all other doors. Sales have started well and we are looking to cement ourselves as a leading brand within The Apothecary area. With regard to our products, Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil is the best selling Trilogy product and is a true favourite of House of Fraser consumers.”
Trilogy is committed to delivering high performance natural skin care products which have an environmentally friendly and ethical ethos
The Rosebud Perfume Company Ltd Smiths’ Rosebud Salve by The Rosebud Perfume Company Ltd has been a beauty essential for many women for over a century. The company is now offering the Rosebud Three Lavish Layer Vintage Tin, said to be a treat for any lip balm addict. Fenella Kayser, director, tells ECM: “House of Fraser is a leader both in the fashion
Simplifyle 17
031 ECM0111 house of fraser.qxp:Layout 1
25/1/11
10:52
Page 33
HOUSE OF FRASER RETAIL FOCUS
This fig scented candle by Cereria Terenzi features an innovative wooden wick – when lit it emits the sound of wood burning and crackling in a fireplace
Simplifyle 17
the longest serving member of staff in service for 42 years. “To help customer navigation, brands are grouped into particular categories, the walkways have been widened and the brand offering has been really elevated to incorporate new brands. The store has also received a new Clarins spa alongside eight new treatments,” adds Lee. She also explains how the Beauty Hall is the gateway to the rest of the store, generally being the first category that the customers access. She continues: “I believe that beauty in a department store has to have a point of view. The customer wants to be able to get the products they love and regularly use but are equally inspired and excited by newness and innovation in products and
services. The key ingredient is to have a knowledgeable beauty consultant team. This is an area we constantly monitor with our brands at House of Fraser.”
world and in the beauty world and this is why we are very proud of being there. The launch of The Apothecary concept has been an absolutely perfect fit with our Smith’s Rosebud Range. I can confirm that our sales numbers within House of Fraser have been incredibly strong.”
professional tanning brand which aims to offer consumers a high quality product but at an affordable price. The new Apothecary department gives us the perfect opportunity to showcase our brand in a fabulous environment that we are proud to be a part of. We have always kept the He-Shi product offering as simple and customer friendly as possible. “The brand is defined in three key steps and merchandised in an easy-to-navigate system. Combined with knowledgeable and well trained staff, we’re confident the retail experience is always simple, informative and enjoyable. While it’s still too early to talk about our sales as He-Shi has only recently launched into House of Fraser, we are sure the Express Liquid Tan 150ml will be our best seller when it gets going.”
Cereria Terenzi Cereria Terenzi offers high quality candles steeped in history combined with masterful craftsmanship. Paolo Terenzi, president, explains: “House of Fraser first noticed us when we were selected by distributors at the Cosmoprof show. It was our home fragrance lines that attracted the organisers’ attention. After the initial contact with House of Fraser we were then approached by the buyers who fell in love with our green and ethical style. We sent them a sample which was then selected for their innovative project The Apothecary and that’s where you can find us today. “We have found it a real success story for an Italian company that is unknown in the UK. Further to this, we really believe we fit in with House of Fraser as it addresses a selected public, interested in quality, handmade, artisan products. “The offer to stock us at House of Fraser means a lot to us, and we are proud to have a space in the UK market where the main European trends originate and the most sophisticated customers can now access our products. We’ve been in House of Fraser for just a few months but our turnover has already hit t40,000 and we are looking forward to going beyond t250,000 soon. We know we are a niche brand but we are also a durable brand.” He-Shi Claiming to be Ireland’s leading self-tanning range, He-Shi is designed to provide an all year round natural tan. Shelley McMurray, co-founder of He-Shi tells ECM: “With House of Fraser being one of the UK’s leading beauty retailers, a listing with the group has always been a key target in the development of the He-Shi brand. The group’s recent development of beauty treatment rooms and the potential that this represents for a professional brand made it a great opportunity which we wanted to embrace, so this was our first consideration when we entered House of Fraser. This store is a renowned site, known for bringing designer brands and luxurious products to a large audience and we feel that He-Shi fits perfectly within this offer. He-Shi is a premium and
A new shopping experience While the new Beauty Hall in Glasgow has been open since the end of September last year, House of Fraser in London has also been busy launching its new retail concept, The Apothecary, which launched there on 14 October. This will be rolled out nationwide over the course of 2011 and was the brainchild of House of Fraser’s senior beauty buyer, Tracy Van Heusden. “The Apothecary was inspired by trips to Italy and France that myself
The Gentry Grooming Co A space dedicated solely to men is what The Gentry Grooming Co represents at House of Fraser. A family business, it was developed to offer men a relaxing salon experience, offerering 20 minute express shaves, skin consultations and an extensive range of products. Charlotte Morris, marketing assistant, tells ECM: “We wanted to offer something to men that women have had for years such as skin consultations and express skin care centres. We had meetings with various other retailers but felt that House of Fraser understood our vision best. House of Fraser as a brand aligns well with The Gentry brand due to its geographical presence, the demographic customer base and the synergy between our target audiences. The retail experience is a completely unique experience offering express shaves, facials and manicure services, coupled with products and expert advice. We have only recently started listing within the store and as such our trading patterns are yet to be established, however we are pleased with our sales performance to date considering we are a previously unknown brand. “Our best selling product in House of Fraser Manchester for example is The Face Balm. Infused with black pepper and mint, it’s a light, non-greasy, easily absorbed daily moisturiser that helps hydrate skin. The unique formula also contains UV filters to help protect the skin from environmental damage. Packed full of natural ingredients including coconut oil, daily use can help prevent fine lines.”
January 2011 ECM 33
031 ECM0111 house of fraser.qxp:Layout 1
25/1/11
10:53
Page 34
RETAIL FOCUS HOUSE OF FRASER
and Joanne Lee took in the past year. We visited the traditional store, Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella in Florence, and were delighted with the beautiful products that surrounded us. Contrasting this with the practical everyday products that we saw in the French pharmacies, I wanted to create a cutting edge beauty emporium in-store and a place where customers could discover niche brands as well as everyday items.” According to Van Heusden The Apothecary combines a feeling of nostalgia with a fresh cutting edge in retail. “We recognised that traditional practices are as relevant and desirable as new technology in today’s market and that the customer wants a combination of both. This is why you’ll find beautiful handcrafted traditional candles from Cereria Terenzi alongside Perricone MD, 3Lab and Filorga for example.” The Apothecary is a place where customers can discover new brands and experience products in a relaxed environment. The team pushed the boundaries to ensure that each counter reflected the very best in development for each brand, with results that included a new three-axis site for Chanel for example. Offering a mix of contemporary, classic, niche and global brands, The Apothecary strives to offer real solutions to everyday problems. It seems the success of The Apothecary rests on the array of products on offer and the wide appeal for consumers. Product prices range from £4 for a Body America Lip Balm to Révive’s Peau Magnifique Youth Recruit at £900. Van Heusden continues: “With 61 stores nationwide we do have a vast geographical area to cover and our stores and consumers do vary. The Apothecary concept can be adapted to meet the needs of our target audience. For example where there is a receptive male customer base it may include products designed for them, or where there is a strong luxury skin care demand The Apothecary will reflect this. It is an area that will continue to develop and evolve and which ensures that the customer always has new things to try.” While launching the new retail space, House of Fraser has also created its own Apothecary brand, with a product line that includes candles, skin care products and gift sets. “Our Apothecary line was created as we felt that there was a gap for luxurious gift items at an accessible price point. We were privileged to work with renowned perfumer François Robert to create these indulgent products that embody the essence of The Apothecary.” The first phase roll-out of the line hasn’t disappointed with products like The Apothecary Candle selling very well. According to the company the candle makes a perfect gift for friends and family and they feature a blend of selected fragrances including bergamot and lemon and its scent is said to comfort and restore. The Apothecary Gift Collections – namely the Apothecary Body Collection, the Apothecary Hand Collection and the Apothecary Travel Collection – also contain this fragrance. The products are free from sodium lauryl sulfates, 34 ECM January 2011
House of Fraser: Apothecary brands 3Lab Ark Berkeley Square Body America Cereria Terenzi Crabtree & Evelyn Deborah Lippmann Electric Body Eylure Fake Bake
parabens, propylene glycols, animal by-products, mineral oils and silicones to appeal to the customer wanting natural products.
Filorga Gentry Grooming Co He-Shi Hissyfit
Beyond tradition House of Fraser is looking forward to a successful year. According to Lee: “Since the refurbishment of the Beauty Hall in Glasgow, sales are flourishing and we are achieving our forecasts. We are especially pleased with the performance of our new introductions such as NARS and Giorgio Armani.” Customer response has also been very positive with many of the niche brands hosted by The Apothecary enjoying a previously unknown popularity. Van Heusden adds: “Soon The Apothecary will be available in all House of Fraser stores and it’s being received very well by customers so far. The feedback that we have received is that customers are enjoying the mixture of products available and the chance to discover new brands in a nonintimidating environment. The brands that seem to have caught our customer’s imagination so far include Deborah Lippmann, MOR and Smith’s Rosebud Salve.” Concludes Lee: “Sales are flourishing; we are achieving our plans and we are pleased with the performance of our new introductions. Customers have responded very positively and we have enjoyed a great footfall throughout the store. We have had great customer feedback from this and other refurbishments that have taken place.”
Jane Packer Lab Series Lancaster La-Tweez Laura Mercier MOR Per-fékt Perricone MD Révive Rodial Rosebud St Tropez Trilogy Vita Liberata Xen Tan
House of Fraser: Trading update, Christmas 2010 Like-for-like sales for the five weeks to 8 January 2011 were up 8.5%, despite the severe weather conditions Margins up by 30 basis points House brand sees growth of over 50% Strong performance from brand partners including concession business Outstanding online sales were up by 120% with an over 50% increase in brands offered Strong performance from newly refurbished stores with like-for-like sales here up by 10% Source: House of Fraser
Simplifyle 17
